The Trump administration's announcement to end the practice of automatically extending work permits to refugees, asylum seekers, holders of H-1B visas for foreign workers, and all those with cases in immigration court has set off alarm bells among the immigrant community.

“It's just another pretext to make life difficult for immigrants and push them “They’re trying to force them to leave the country,” said immigration attorney Alex Galvez. “The government says the measure is to examine the eligibility of applications more frequently, prevent fraud, and for national security, but what they don’t say is that the economy is going to suffer.” He specified that this rule applies to everyone with pending court cases, all asylum seekers, investor visa applicants, VAWA beneficiaries (affected by domestic violence, sexual assault, and harassment), and those who have filed for cancellation of removal (from their deportation). “The only ones excluded are Temporary Protected Status (TPS) beneficiaries, but Trump has already eliminated it for everyone except Salvadorans.” According to attorney Galvez, since Trump got rid of the company that processes work permits to hire one of his friends who had no experience in the field, the processing time can now take from eight months to a year. and a half.

“The earliest someone can apply for renewal is six months before it expires, and there’s no guarantee it will arrive in time to keep their job. The Trump Administration has warned that they will penalize employers who continue to hire a worker whose permit has expired. So they have to fire them and rehire them when their permit arrives, if it gets renewed.”

According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), this rule prioritizes thorough background checks on foreigners before extending the validity of their employment authorizations.

In a statement,The DHS states that foreigners applying to renew their work permits after October 30, 2025, will no longer receive an automatic extension.

“Eliminating automatic extensions will lead to more frequent background checks for foreigners seeking employment authorization to work in the United States,” they indicate.

They add that more frequent background checks will allow U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to prevent fraud and identify foreigners with potentially harmful intentions so they can be prosecuted for removal from the United States.

“USCIS is placing a renewed emphasis on thorough vetting and screening of foreigners, eliminating policies implemented by the previous administration that prioritized the convenience of foreigners over the safety of Americans,” stated USCIS Director Joseph Edlow.

“It is a common-sense measure to ensure that proper verification and vetting are completed before extending an alien's employment authorization or documentation. All aliens should remember that working in the United States is a privilege, not a right.”

For Todd Schulte, president of FWD.US, a bipartisan political organization working to reform the U.S. immigration system, ending the automatic extension of work permits is another deliberate attempt to deprive immigrants of the possibility of working legally in the United States.

“The automatic extension of work permits is a logical solution that protects businesses from processing delays while allowing the government sufficient time to complete the review of applicants and ensure their continued eligibility.”

Shulte noted that this decision will plunge hundreds of thousands of people, as well as their employers and families, into chaos.

“These are people with legal status, who have been vetted, and who have often resided in the United States for many years or decades. To deny people in advance the opportunity to support themselves and contribute fully—let alone use that effort to justify attacks against individuals who will then lose their jobs—is simply unfair.” Shutte stated that we should be creating more pathways, such as modernizing and simplifying work permit renewals, not obstacles for those who are already part of our communities and vital to our economy. USCIS recommends that foreign nationals apply for timely renewal of their work permit document,Submitting the renewal application correctly up to 180 days before its expiration.

“The longer a foreigner waits to submit the renewal application, the greater the likelihood that their employment authorization or documentation will be temporarily suspended,” they warn.

The provisional final rule does not affect work permits that are automatically extended before October 30, 2025.