WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Trump administration on Thursday reduced the maximum validity of work permits for refugees, asylum seekers and certain other migrants from five years to 18 months, a major shift in federal immigration policy that officials say is aimed at increasing public-safety screenings. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Joseph Edlow said the decision follows a November 26 attack in Washington, D.C., in which two National Guard members were shot by a man admitted under a resettlement program during the previous administration.
USCIS said the shortened permit period will allow more frequent vetting of approximately 1.4 million current and future applicants. Edlow argued that “reducing the maximum validity period for employment authorization will ensure that those seeking to work in the United States do not threaten public safety or promote harmful anti-American ideologies.” The shift applies to refugees, approved asylum seekers and migrants whose deportation has been suspended.
The move came two days after the administration halted immigration applications from citizens of 19 countries already subject to travel restrictions, including Afghanistan, Yemen, Haiti, Venezuela, Sudan and Somalia. The policy change is part of a broader tightening of immigration rules under President Donald Trump, who said after the D.C. shooting that he plans to “permanently pause migration from all Third World countries.”
The administration’s actions have drawn concern from immigrant-advocacy groups and sharpened debate in Congress over the balance between security and humanitarian responsibilities.
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