Move comes amid sweeping immigration crackdown and follows National Guard shooting blamed on Afghan resettlement case.
The Trump administration has reduced the maximum validity period for work permits issued to refugees, asylum seekers and other migrants, cutting the authorisation to 18 months from five years as part of its escalating immigration crackdown.
The decision came two days after the administration halted immigration applications for citizens from 19 countries already subject to travel restrictions.It also followed last week’s shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, an incident allegedly carried out by an Afghan man who arrived in the United States through a resettlement programme after the US military withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.Joseph Edlow, director of US Citizenship and Immigration Services , cited the 26 November attack as justification for the policy shift.'Reducing the maximum validity period for employment authorisation will ensure that those seeking to work in the United States do not threaten public safety or promote harmful anti-American ideologies,' Edlow said in a statement.'After the attack on National Guard service members in our nation’s capital by an alien who was admitted into this country by the previous administration, it’s even more clear that USCIS must conduct frequent vetting of aliens,' he added.According to USCIS, the shortened work permit validity will apply to migrants admitted as refugees, individuals granted asylum, and those whose deportation has been put on hold.More restrictionsOn Tuesday, the administration announced that it was halting green card and citizenship processing for citizens of 19 nations already facing travel restrictions.These include Afghanistan, Yemen, Haiti, Venezuela, Sudan and Somalia.President Donald Trump campaigned on a pledge to deport millions of undocumented migrants.Following the National Guard shooting, he said he planned to 'permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries.'The move marks one of the most significant administrative changes to the work authorisation system in years, with rights groups warning that it will disrupt employment stability for refugees and asylum seekers who already face lengthy vetting and administrative delays.The administration argues the shorter validity window will allow more frequent security screening.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Patel blasts Biden's 'emblematic failure' after Afghan national charged in Guard shootingFox News Channel offers its audiences in-depth news reporting, along with opinion and analysis encompassing the principles of free people, free markets and diversity of thought, as an alternative to the left-of-center offerings of the news marketplace.
Read more »
Afghan National Charged with Murder in Shooting of West Virginia National Guard MembersRahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national, faces murder charges after allegedly shooting two West Virginia National Guard members in Washington, D.C., one of whom died. The suspect appeared in court remotely from a hospital bed. The FBI is investigating the shooting as a potential act of international terrorism.
Read more »
US pauses all pending green card applications from 19 'countries of concern'The move follows the shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, D.C.
Read more »
Politically Speaking: Changes to immigration policy impact Afghan alliesAfghan nationals have been the epicenter of the conversation around immigration since an Afghan man shot two National Guard members, killing one, last week.
Read more »
2021 Afghan remarks haunt GOP lawmaker's Senate bid after DC Guard shootingFox News Channel offers its audiences in-depth news reporting, along with opinion and analysis encompassing the principles of free people, free markets and diversity of thought, as an alternative to the left-of-center offerings of the news marketplace.
Read more »
Some U.S. veterans say Trump asylum freeze puts Afghan allies at riskAfter an Afghan national was charged with shooting two National Guard members, veterans who worked closely with Afghan refugees who were once frontline allies are scrambling to respond to the blowback.
Read more »