US to revoke visas of Nigerians
The United States government has announced plans to revoke the non-immigrant visas of foreign nationals who entered the country as short-term visitors but later applied for asylum.
The planned move is part of President Donald Trump’s wider immigration crackdown, which has affected both undocumented migrants and foreigners with legal immigration status.
A spokesperson for the US State Department said the department was working with the Department of Homeland Security to identify people who entered the country claiming they intended to stay temporarily but later filed asylum claims to remain in the US permanently.
The department did not say how many visas could be affected by the policy. However, the Associated Press reported that about 200,000 holders of business and tourism visas could be impacted, based on State Department documents and information from two US officials.
If carried out on that scale, the move could become the largest mass revocation of US visas in the country’s history.
According to the report, the State Department plans to target B1 and B2 visas issued between 2016 and 2026 to people who have applied for or are currently seeking asylum.
B1 visas are mainly issued for business travel, while B2 visas cover tourism and other temporary visits.
The planned action would not automatically mean that everyone affected would be deported immediately. People with pending asylum applications could instead have their immigration status changed, while losing their classification as business or tourism visitors.
US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau also accused the country’s immigration system of being overwhelmed by what he described as frivolous asylum applications.
The State Department had earlier disclosed that the Trump administration had revoked more than 175,000 visas belonging to foreign nationals.
The latest plan comes as Trump continues to tighten US immigration rules after returning to office. His administration has pursued visa and green card cancellations, increased deportation efforts and introduced other measures aimed at reducing both illegal and certain forms of legal immigration.
The administration has said the policies are designed to protect US national security and enforce immigration laws.
Rights groups have criticised some of the measures, saying they could affect due process and free speech rights and expose ethnic minorities to increased scrutiny.
Trump made tougher immigration enforcement a major part of his 2024 presidential campaign. Since taking office, his administration has also introduced measures affecting legal immigrants, including higher fees for some work visa applicants.
Several of the administration’s immigration policies have faced legal challenges in US courts.
