The administration of US 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 but later applied for asylum.
The move is part of the Trump administration’s broader immigration crackdown targeting both undocumented immigration and legal immigration pathways.
A spokesperson for the US State Department disclosed on Monday that the department is working with the Department of Homeland Security to identify individuals who entered the US on temporary visitor visas and subsequently sought asylum.
According to the spokesperson, Tommy Pigott, the government intends to revoke the visas of foreigners who “came to the United States claiming to be short-term visitors, but then file for asylum to stay here permanently.”
While the State Department did not reveal the exact number of people who could be affected, the Associated Press, AP, reported that up to 200,000 holders of business and tourist visas may face revocation under the policy.
The report stated that the State Department plans to target B-1 and B-2 visas issued between 2016 and 2026 to individuals who have either applied for or are currently pursuing asylum claims in the US.
B-1 and B-2 visas are non-immigrant visas typically granted for business trips, tourism, medical treatment and short-term visits.
However, AP noted that the visa revocations would not automatically trigger deportation proceedings. Individuals with pending asylum cases are expected to be reclassified, although they would lose their status as business or tourist visitors.
Commenting on the development, US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau alleged that the American immigration system had been overwhelmed by unfounded asylum applications.
“The American immigration system has long been swamped by frivolous asylum claims,” Christopher Landau, US Deputy Secretary of State, wrote on X on Monday.
The State Department had earlier disclosed that more than 175,000 visas belonging to foreign nationals had already been revoked by the Trump administration as part of its immigration enforcement measures.
President Trump maintains that the policies are aimed at strengthening national security and ensuring strict compliance with US immigration laws.
US to revoke visas of Nigerians, other foreigners who apply for asylum after entering as visitors