US President Donald Trump’s administration has proposed a sweeping immigration rule that could effectively suspend the issuance of work permits for asylum applicants in the United States for a long time.
The controversial regulation, published by the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), aims to reduce what officials view as an incentive for migrants to file asylum claims primarily to obtain employment authorisation.
What is the proposed rule?
Under the draft rule, work permits, officially known as Employment Authorization Documents, would be withheld until average asylum processing times fall below 180 days. At current processing speeds, DHS estimates it could take anywhere between 14 and 173 years to achieve that benchmark, meaning the pause could last for many years, Reuters reported.
The measure is part of a broader effort by the administration to curb both legal and illegal immigration and tighten the asylum system.
Officials have argued that too many people file asylum applications with the primary aim of gaining access to the American labour market, rather than because they face genuine persecution.
Proposed rule to also tighten eligibility criteria
In addition to halting work permit issuance until processing times improve, the proposed rule would also tighten eligibility criteria. Migrants who entered the country illegally generally would be barred from receiving or renewing work permits unless they notified US authorities within 48 hours of crossing and expressed a valid fear of persecution or torture.
The DHS said this limitation is intended to discourage applicants from exploiting asylum procedures for employment benefits.
“This rule, if finalised, would reduce the incentive to file frivolous, fraudulent, or otherwise meritless asylum claims,” DHS said in a statement.
The DHS will accept public comment on the measure for 60 days after it is formally published in the Federal Register on Monday.