The administration of United States President Donald Trump has announced plans to revoke the non-immigrant visas of foreign nationals, including Nigerians, who entered the country as short-term visitors and later applied for asylum.
The move is part of the Trump administration’s broader immigration crackdown, which has affected both undocumented migrants and foreigners who entered the country legally.
A US State Department spokesperson said on Monday that the department was working with the Department of Homeland Security to identify foreigners who obtained visitor visas but subsequently sought asylum in the United States.
“The State Department is coordinating with the Department of Homeland Security to identify and revoke the non-immigrant visas of foreigners who have come to the United States claiming to be short-term visitors, but then file for asylum to stay here permanently,” the spokesperson said.
The State Department did not disclose the number of visa holders that could be affected.
However, the Associated Press reported that up to 200,000 holders of business and tourism visas could be impacted, citing State Department documents and two US officials.
If carried out on that scale, the policy could amount to the largest single mass revocation of US visas in the country’s history.
According to the report, the State Department plans to target B1 and B2 visas issued between 2016 and 2026 to foreigners who have filed asylum applications or are currently pursuing asylum claims.
B1 visas are generally issued for temporary business travel, while B2 visas are primarily used by visitors entering the United States for tourism and other short-term purposes.
The planned visa revocations would not automatically result in the immediate deportation of affected individuals. Instead, most applicants with pending asylum cases would reportedly be reclassified and would no longer retain their status as business or tourism visitors.
Earlier on Monday, US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said on X that the country’s immigration system had been overwhelmed by what he described as “frivolous asylum claims.”
The State Department had earlier announced that the Trump administration had revoked more than 175,000 visas belonging to foreign nationals.
Since returning to office, Trump has pursued an aggressive immigration enforcement agenda, including the revocation of visas and green cards and the expansion of deportation operations.
The administration has maintained that the measures are aimed at strengthening national security and ensuring compliance with US immigration laws.
However, rights groups have criticised several aspects of the immigration crackdown, arguing that some policies could undermine due process and free speech protections while raising concerns about racial profiling and the treatment of ethnic minorities.
Although Trump campaigned in 2024 on a pledge to tackle illegal immigration, his administration has also introduced measures affecting legal immigration, including increased fees for certain work visa applications.
Several of the administration’s immigration policies are currently facing legal challenges in US courts.
