Trump administration to revoke visas of foreigners seeking asylum in US, officials say

JUST IN: Trump administration plans to revoke non-immigrant visas of foreigners who applied for asylum in the US, a move that could affect up to 200,000 people could be the largest mass visa revocation in US history.

Up to 200,000 people could have their visas cancelled in one sweep. The Trump administration says it will revoke the non-immigrant visas of foreigners who applied for asylum in the United States, and if the numbers hold, it would be the largest mass visa revocation in American history.

The State Department is coordinating with Homeland Security to target B1 and B2 visas, that's business and tourism travel, issued anytime between 2016 and 2026, where the holder later filed an asylum claim. Deputy Secretary Christopher Landau says the system has been swamped by frivolous claims.

To be clear, this doesn't mean immediate deportation. Most people with pending cases get re-categorised while they wait. But they lose their legal footing as visitors, and this administration has already pulled more than 175,000 visas this year, so the machinery is running at full speed.

Two hundred thousand lives, re-filed overnight. That's the number to remember.

This is Sara White, reporting for HIT.