The United States is preparing to revoke business and tourism visas from roughly 200,000 asylum seekers, a move that would mark the largest single mass visa revocation in American history, according to Al Jazeera and the Associated Press.

The plan, reported by Al Jazeera and confirmed by AP, targets individuals who entered the US legally on nonimmigrant visas and later filed for asylum. The action is part of a broader effort to deter asylum claims and reduce the growing backlog in immigration courts.

What the plan entails

The visas affected are B1 business visas and B2 tourism visas. Asylum seekers who hold these visas would have them cancelled, forcing them to leave the US or face deportation. Administration officials argue that asylum claims filed after arrival on temporary visas are often fraudulent and burden the system.

According to AP, the Department of Homeland Security and the State Department have been working on the policy for months. The revocation would apply to individuals whose asylum cases have not yet been approved. Those with pending claims would lose their legal status immediately.

Reactions and legal challenges

Immigration advocates and legal experts say the move would violate due process. The American Civil Liberties Union has signaled it will sue. Lee Gelernt, deputy director of the ACLU's Immigrants' Rights Project, called the plan "unlawful and cruel." He said in a statement that the administration cannot strip visa holders of their rights without individual hearings.

Other legal scholars have questioned the legality of a blanket revocation. Stephen Yale-Loehr, an immigration law professor at Cornell University, told AP that the policy would likely face an uphill battle in court. He noted that previous mass revocations were tied to national security concerns, not asylum deterrence.

Impact on European asylum seekers

The plan could affect European citizens who hold US business or tourism visas and have applied for asylum. While the number of European asylum seekers in the US is small, the policy signals a tougher US stance on migration. European Union officials have expressed concern about the potential for European nationals to be caught in the sweep.

A spokesperson for the European Commission said the EU is monitoring the situation and expects the US to respect international law. The spokesperson added that Brussels is ready to assist any European citizens affected by the visa cancellations.

Historical context

The largest previous mass visa revocation came in 2017 when the Trump administration revoked visas for citizens of six Muslim-majority countries. That action affected about 60,000 visas. The new plan would be more than three times larger, according to AP.

Immigration experts note that the current proposal goes beyond any prior administrative action. It targets individuals already inside the US, rather than visa applicants abroad. This makes the legal and logistical challenges more complex.

What happens next

The administration is expected to finalize the policy within weeks. The State Department and Department of Homeland Security have not commented on the reports. Legal challenges are likely to be filed immediately after the official announcement.

If the plan takes effect, it will force thousands of asylum seekers to either leave the US voluntarily or face deportation proceedings. The move could also set a precedent for other countries dealing with migration pressures, including those in Europe.