U.S. Plans Historic Mass Revocation Of Visas For Asylum Seekers
On August 24, 2026, U.S. officials said the State Department plans to revoke up to 200,000 B1/B2 visitor visas held by people who have sought or are seeking asylum in the United States.[1]
Officials said the planned revocations would target visas issued between 2016 and 2026 and would be implemented with the Department of Homeland Security on a rolling basis.[1] State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott confirmed coordination with DHS but declined to specify the final number of revocations.[1] Officials said most people with active asylum cases would lose visitor status as a result, but would not be summarily deported.[1]
The announcement follows a recent surge in visa cancellations by the State Department; officials say about 175,000 visas were revoked in the past 18 months for alleged crimes and some political speech, mainly involving people in the Middle East.[1] If carried out at the scale officials described, it would be the largest mass visa revocation in U.S. history.[1]
Show source details & analysis (1 source)
📌 Key Facts
- On August 24, 2026, officials said the State Department plans to revoke up to 200,000 B1/B2 visas for people who have sought or are seeking asylum in the U.S.
- The planned revocations would apply to visas issued between 2016 and 2026 and be implemented with DHS on a rolling basis.
- State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott confirmed coordination with DHS but would not specify the final number of revocations.
- Most people with current asylum cases would lose visitor status but not be summarily deported, according to officials.
- In the past 18 months, the State Department has revoked about 175,000 visas for alleged crimes and some political speech, mainly in the Middle East.
📰 Source Timeline (1)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time