This proposed new rule would make it much harder for asylum seekers to apply for an initial work permit and make some work permit renewals more difficult.
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Why this is bad
Seeking asylum is a right everyone has under both US and international law. To claim asylum status, you have to arrive within the United States first. This makes it different than being a refugee.
This proposed rule would pause all asylum employment authorization documents (EADs) when the processing time exceeds 180 days. Right now, that is the case for every asylee applying for a work permit.
According to USCIS, this pause will last between 14 and 173 years.
For asylum seekers: the earliest this rule could be implemented is April 24th, so there is still time to apply for a work permit or renew yours.
Until this proposed rule change, asylum seekers have been able to live and work in the US, contributing to the country they want to join. While this rule does not ban asylees from applying for work permits outright, it does use administrative rules to make working impossible in practice.
People have to work. If they can’t, that will only strain our already underfunded public systems more.
This rule provides no benefit to anyone—it simply hurts people already seeking safety within our borders.