The Trump Administration Plans To Deny Work Permits To Asylum-Seekers Who Cross The Border

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The proposal would deny thousands of people who cross the border each year to seek asylum in the US the right to apply to legally work.

The Trump administration plans to issue a new policy that would deny work permits to asylum-seekers who cross the border without authorization as well as those who are convicted of a felony, and significantly delay when those qualified to apply for a permit can do so, according to two sources close to the administration.

The proposal from US Citizenship and Immigration Services comes as acting Director Ken Cuccinelli, an immigration hardliner, pushes restrictive policies, including a recent rule allowing the government to deny permanent residency to immigrants who use or are likely to use public benefits, such as food stamps.

The new work permit policy, which has not been previously reported, is expected to be included in a forthcoming proposed regulation that would only allow those who applied for asylum at a port of entry to be eligible for a work permit. The new restrictions mark the latest move by the Trump administration to reduce the number of asylum-seekers crossing the southern border.

Proposed regulations do not take effect immediately and must still go through a process that includes public comments. A USCIS spokesperson did not immediately respond to a BuzzFeed News request for comment.

In late April, President Trump signed a memo directing USCIS to provide proposals that would limit work permits for asylum-seekers who crossed the border without authorization. The proposed regulation is believed to have been pushed aggressively by White House officials.

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