WASHINGTON – A new federal regulation released Friday by the Trump administration could suspend employment authorization for asylum seekers for potentially decades, marking one of the most significant changes to immigration work permits in recent history.
The Department of Homeland Security unveiled the proposed regulation aimed at discouraging migrants from submitting asylum claims primarily to obtain legal employment authorization while also reducing case backlogs to enhance security screening procedures.
This regulatory change, expected to face court challenges, represents part of President Trump’s comprehensive strategy to curtail both authorized and unauthorized immigration. Following his 2025 return to the presidency, Trump has continued his campaign messaging that characterized immigrants and asylum seekers as criminals and economic burdens, despite research showing otherwise.
Under the DHS proposal, employment permit processing would halt for all future asylum applicants until average case processing times drop to 180 days or less. Given existing delays, federal officials project it would require 14 to 173 years to achieve this benchmark, though they note various factors might accelerate the timeline.
The administration has also outlined stricter qualification standards for asylum-related work authorization, maintaining that employment permits are “not an entitlement” but remain under the homeland security secretary’s authority.
The regulation’s most significant provision would prohibit migrants who entered the country without authorization from obtaining new employment permits or extending current ones. Limited exemptions would apply only to individuals who contacted border officials within 48 hours of entry to report persecution fears, torture concerns, or other emergency circumstances that forced illegal crossing.
Immigration rights organizations and Democratic lawmakers have condemned Trump’s aggressive asylum policies, arguing they violate established domestic and international legal frameworks.
