The Donald Trump administration is reportedly preparing to revoke those business and tourism visas (B1 and B2) from 200,000 foreigners. Credit: AI-generated image with Geminai.
In a measure that could constitute the largest revocation of visas in United States history, the Donald Trump administration is reportedly preparing to revoke those business and tourism visas (B1 and B2) from 200,000 foreigners, including those who have requested or are requesting asylum in that country.
Specifically, it would involve visas issued between 2016 and 2026, and the announcement would be made by the Department of State in the coming weeks, reported the AP agency, which said it obtained documents from that department and statements from two officials.
“We are coordinating with DHS to identify and revoke nonimmigrant visas of foreigners who have arrived in the United States claiming to be short term visitors, but who later request asylum to stay here permanently”, said Department of State spokesperson Tommy Pigott cited by AP.
The case of a Colombian activist
In that sense, and without the facts having any connection, this Monday it became known that the U.S. Under Secretary of State, Christopher Landau, was displeased by the way Colombian activist Humberto ‘Beto’ Coral requested asylum in the United States in 2015 shortly before his permit of stay expired.
According to Landau, Coral received a work permit during the government of Barack Obama, which he renewed for a decade. For the Under Secretary of State, it was an “abuse” of United States laws, considering that the activist, currently in Colombia, had several irregularities.
“Although one may wonder what that has to do with official persecution by reason of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or political opinion”, added Landau on X.
Landau criticized people who, according to him, try to use tourist and business visas to enter the United States and then request asylum. “People in the United States and all over the world are sick of fraudulent asylum applications”, he added on X.
He questioned the speeches of the Colombian Coral in favor of former president Gustavo Petro and comments against Alvaro Uribe. He also showed his annoyance with statements by Coral against the current president of Colombia, Abelardo de la Espriella, and Trump’s migration policies.
Coral wrote things like: “What will the 155,000 Colombians who voted for this mobster [De la Espriella] in the United States think? Today he receives the support of a government [Trump’s] that persecutes us for being Latinos, for being immigrants”.
“If this is not a perfect example of the dysfunction and abuse of our asylum system, I do not know what is”, sentenced Landau.
Coral was deported from the United States after being detained for a month by the immigration authorities of that country and assured that he will continue his political and whistleblowing work, while giving up on requesting asylum in U.S. territory.
In the last 18 months, the Department of State has revoked around 175,000 visas from people who have been convicted or accused of crimes ranging from drunk driving to rape and robbery, as well as people who have publicly demonstrated against United States policies, particularly in the Middle East.
According to the officials cited by the AP agency, visa revocations would not necessarily imply the immediate deportation of those affected.
“Most people with pending asylum cases would be reclassified, but would lose their status as business or tourism travelers, explained the officials, who spoke under condition of anonymity because the revocations are not yet final”, specifies the agency.
Since President Trump took office for his second term last year, his administration has progressively increased restrictions on visa applicants, requiring more information about their social media history, requiring the payment of expensive bonds for visa processing, and directly prohibiting the issuance of visas to citizens of certain countries.
The United States has also taken strong measures against so-called birth tourism, a practice that, according to what it states, is used by pregnant foreign women to come to the United States to give birth so that their child benefits from citizenship by birthright. Trump has attempted on several occasions to put an end to birthright citizenship, but those appeals have been rejected by the courts, including the Supreme Court.
Department of State documents obtained by AP suggest that the review of current B1 and B2 visa holders began after the Department of State received information about asylum applications from Citizenship and Immigration Services.