Work Authorization
Work authorization allows non-citizens to be employed in the U.S. This is essential for maintaining a robust and diverse economy because it enables workers with various backgrounds and skills to contribute to the economy. We advocate on behalf of those who seek employment authorization here and work to shape policy that makes the process easier to navigate.
Coalition Effort Calls for Fair and Efficient Work Permit Process for Asylum Seekers
The Council joined 74 other organizations in a letter calling for DHS to eliminate restrictions on work authorization for asylum seekers. Read More
U.S. Workers Sue USCIS for Unlawful Delays in Renewal of Employment Authorizations
Five workers in the United States filed a nationwide class action lawsuit today challenging unlawful log-jam and extreme delays at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services that have resulted in the government’s failure to process the work authorization renewals for asylum seekers. Read More
Challenging USCIS for Delays in Renewal of Employment Authorizations
The Council and partners filed a nationwide class action lawsuit to ensure timely renewal of work authorizations documents for asylum seekers. Read More
Biden Begins to Restore Temporary Protected Status. Which Countries Could Get TPS Next?
By the end of the Trump presidency, Temporary Protected Status (TPS) was all but destroyed. The former administration had attempted to end crucial protections for the hundreds of thousands of vulnerable people who benefited from the status. Now, just a short time into the Biden administration, those protections are being… Read More
Why Immigrants With Strong Ties to the US Should Be Allowed to Stay
This article is part of the Moving Forward on Immigration series that explores the future of immigration in the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election. The Biden administration will soon lead a vibrant nation of immigrants—a nation that includes millions of noncitizens with deep ties to the United States… Read More
Brief Comments Regarding DHS Proposed Rule on Employment Authorization for Certain Classes of Aliens With Final Orders of Removal, 85 Fed. Reg. 74,196 (November 19, 2020)
The American Immigration Council, the American Immigration Lawyers Association, and Immigrant Legal Defense submitted these comments relating to the Department of Homeland Security's proposed rule to restrict or prohibit work authorization for individuals with final orders of removal. Read More
Hundreds of Cubans Who Cannot Be Deported Face Prolonged Detention
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to rage inside ICE detention centers, hundreds of Cubans who cannot be deported, continue to be detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). They have exhausted their options in their legal cases but remain detained months after a judge issued a final order of… Read More
Foreign Student Admission Restrictions Hurt America’s Leadership in Innovation
The proposal would negatively impact American colleges and universities and foreign students seeking a higher education degree in the United States and have long-term effects for the legal immigration system. Read More
Summary of Proposed Changes to Student and Exchange Visitor Admissions Process by DHS
This document provides a summary of the Department of Homeland Security’s September 25, 2020, Proposed Rule, “Establishing a Fixed Time Period of Admission and an Extension of Stay Procedure for Nonimmigrant Academic Students, Exchange Visitors, and Representatives of Foreign Information Media.” The summary explains the changes DHS is proposing… Read More
Letter Requesting 60-Day Comment Period on Proposed Rule Expanding Collection of Biometrics
This new rule will increase the total number of people who are required to submit biometric data from 3.9 million currently to 6.07 million—an increase of more than 60%. Read More
