Trump admin moving to revoke visas from potentially hundreds of thousands of asylum seekers
An asylum seeker poses for a photo with her daughter in Minneapolis in January.
(CNN) — The Trump administration is moving to revoke visas from potentially hundreds of thousands of foreigners who have applied for or are seeking asylum in the United States.
The planned action would go after people who came to the US on temporary visas for reasons like tourism or business and then sought asylum to remain in the country long term. It comes as the Trump administration has aggressively sought to both prevent immigrants from coming to the US and to remove those who are already in the country.
A source familiar with the matter did not dispute that the action could impact 200,000 foreigners, as was first reported by the Associated Press, but said the revocations would not be done “in one fell swoop.”
“As the process will be ongoing, the number of revocations remains dynamic and will be done on a rolling basis,” State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said.
An immigration lawyer and a former State Department consular official described the planned deportations as largely symbolic and meant to play into the administration’s claims that the visa system is being abused.
“It’s pretty obvious at this point that (the administration) went through immigration laws and regulations with a fine-tooth comb, and they’re just doing everything that they have the authority to do,” said Camille Mackler, an attorney and immigration policy consultant. “I think it’s mostly the message that it sends.”
She and the former consular official said the visa revocations would likely not result in immediate deportations.
Pigott said the State Department is coordinating with the Department of Homeland Security “to identify and revoke the nonimmigrant 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.”
“These types of visas are issued with the clear understanding that they are for those who intend to return home,” Pigott said. “Obtaining a visa in order to seek asylum is fraud — which is grounds for visa revocation.”
To seek asylum, a person must be physically present in the US and be fleeing political, racial or religious persecution in their home country.
Mackler told CNN that asylum seekers who have their visas revoked would “at a minimum” have to be given a hearing before an immigration judge before they could be deported.
She said she does not expect the revocation policy to deter people any more than the administration’s other immigration restrictions.
“People are going to move because when they’re desperate enough that they need to ask for asylum, then they’re just going to look for safety wherever they can find it,” she said.
CNN reported in April that applicants for visas to the United States would have to affirm that they do not fear persecution in their home countries as the Trump administration sought to further restrict potential asylum seekers from entering the country.
The directive from the State Department instructed consular officers to ask nonimmigrant visa applicants two questions: “Have you experienced harm or mistreatment in your country of nationality or last habitual residence?” and “Do you fear harm or mistreatment in returning to your country of nationality or permanent residence?”
“Visa applicants must respond verbally with a ‘no’ to both questions for the consular officer to continue with visa issuance,” instructed the cable, which was sent to all embassies and consulates.
The State Department announced earlier this month that it had revoked more than 175,000 visas since President Donald Trump began his second term, marking a significant jump from December.
This story has been updated with additional information.
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