Trump reduces the length of work permits for asylum-seekers

On Thursday, the Trump administration announced a reduction in the duration of work permits for asylum-seekers, citing concerns over national security. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) revised its policy manual to limit the validity of employment authorization documents from five years to 18 months.

This adjustment is expected to affect employment options for refugees, individuals granted asylum, those with withholding of deportation or removal, and applicants awaiting status adjustments, according to a USCIS publication outlining the new rules.

Shortening the maximum duration of work permits will help ensure that individuals authorized to work in the United States do not pose safety risks or spread harmful ideologies, USCIS Director Joseph Edlow stated. He also referenced a recent attack on National Guard members in Washington, D.C., carried out by a foreign national, emphasizing the need for ongoing vetting of immigrants.

The policy shift follows heightened immigration enforcement after two soldiers were shot outside a D.C. metro station by Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national admitted under the Biden-era Operation Allies Welcome program but granted asylum earlier this year. In response, USCIS has temporarily suspended benefit requests from nationals of 19 countries considered high-risk.

The temporary pause affects individuals from Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela, regardless of when they entered the United States.

Author: Gavin Porter