SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — A San Diego immigration attorney says at least 2 of his clients have had their tourist visas revoked in the last couple of days, and he thinks there will be more.
Habib Hasbini, a San Diego-based immigration attorney, says his clients received emails from the U.S. State Department notifying them that their tourist visas have been revoked, effective immediately. The two men are in separate cases, one from Lebanon, the other from Jordan. They live in San Diego and Los Angeles.
"They are both afraid, of course. They're afraid that there could be more, you know, more measures that could target them," Hasbini said.
Hasbini says both men legally entered the country on tourist visas and had filed for asylum after fearing going back to their home countries.
"They were afraid to go back, and they filed for asylum," Hasbini said.
The email notices came just days after the State Department announced it was preparing to revoke tourist and business visas issued between 2016 and 2026 to foreign nationals who have sought or are seeking asylum.
The emails sent to Hasbini's clients do not give a specific reason for the revocation, but say the action is based on information received after the visa was issued that indicates they may be ineligible for the visa. Hasbini says nothing about their cases has changed.
"They both have great and valid asylum claims. They filed within a reasonable time after receiving certain threats from certain groups from back home," Hasbini said.
According to the government, an asylum application can only be filed if the applicant is physically present in the U.S., which is what Hasbini says his clients did.
"So you have this right to do so, but now they want to take your visa away if you exercise your right under the law," Hasbini said.
In a statement to ABC 10News, a State Department spokesperson said the following:
"Under President Trump and Secretary Rubio's leadership, we are making clear that a visa is a privilege — not a right. We are coordinating with DHS to identify and revoke the nonimmigrant visas of foreigners who have come to the United States claiming to be short-term visitors, but then file for asylum to stay here permanently. These types of visas are issued with the clear understanding that they are for those who intend to return home. Obtaining a visa in order to seek asylum is fraud - which is grounds for visa revocation. This is an ongoing process as we uphold the integrity of our visa and asylum laws.
As the process will be ongoing, the number of revocations remains dynamic and will be done on a rolling basis."
Officials estimate these revocations could impact roughly 200,000 people.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
