The United States government under President Donald Trump is preparing to revoke non-immigrant visas held by foreign nationals who entered the country as visitors but later applied for asylum, a move that could affect Nigerians and thousands of other foreigners.
The planned action is part of the Trump administration’s wider immigration crackdown, which has increasingly targeted both undocumented migrants and people who entered the US legally.
The US State Department said it was working with the Department of Homeland Security to identify foreigners who obtained short-term visitor visas but later filed asylum applications seeking to remain in the country permanently.
The department said such individuals could have their non-immigrant visas revoked, although it did not provide a figure for the number of people expected to be affected.
However, documents reviewed by the Associated Press and comments from two US officials suggested that the policy could affect up to 200,000 holders of business and tourism visas.
If implemented at that scale, the action would reportedly become the largest mass cancellation of US visas.
The policy is expected to cover B1 and B2 visas issued between 2016 and 2026 to people who have applied for asylum or currently have asylum applications pending.
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B1 visas are mainly issued for business travel, while B2 visas are generally used for tourism, visiting family and other temporary purposes.
The planned revocation does not automatically mean that affected individuals will be deported immediately. People with pending asylum applications could instead be placed under a different immigration category while losing their status as business or tourism visitors.
US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau had earlier criticised what he described as the large number of weak asylum applications entering the American immigration system.
The State Department also disclosed earlier this month that the Trump administration had revoked more than 175,000 visas belonging to foreign nationals.
The latest move adds to a series of immigration measures introduced since Trump returned to office, including visa cancellations, restrictions affecting green card holders and an expanded deportation programme.
The administration has defended the policies as necessary to enforce US immigration laws and protect national security.
Civil rights and immigrant advocacy groups, however, have criticised several aspects of the crackdown, arguing that some measures raise concerns over due process and the treatment of foreign nationals.
The administration has also faced legal challenges over a number of its immigration policies as it continues its efforts to reduce both illegal and legal immigration.
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