
Trump Administration Moves to End Automatic Renewals for Some Work Permits
Clip: 11/4/2025 | 10m 50sVideo has Closed Captions
Immigrants were previously given a 540-day extension to legally work while a renewal was pending.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said the change is aimed at increasing vetting and ensuring national security. Critics said it could impact both the economy and thousands of workers.
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Trump Administration Moves to End Automatic Renewals for Some Work Permits
Clip: 11/4/2025 | 10m 50sVideo has Closed Captions
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said the change is aimed at increasing vetting and ensuring national security. Critics said it could impact both the economy and thousands of workers.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipadministration is moving to end automatic extensions to some immigrant work permits.
What a work permit expired under the Biden administration.
Immigrants were given a 540 day extension so they can still legally work while there renewal request was in consideration, the Department of Homeland Security says the change aims to increase vetting and ensure national security.
But critics say it could have large-scale ramifications for the economy and impact both thousands of workers and many more thousands of Americans who rely on the jobs.
Those workers do.
Joining us with more on the potential impact our nubia Willman in attorney and the chief programs officer for Latinos.
Progress on do and We have a trio Rosco senior policy counsel for the American Immigration Council.
And Jackie Stephens, political science professor and founding director of the Deportation Research Clinic at Northwestern University.
Thanks to all 3 of you for joining us.
Nubia starting with you, please.
How will this impact workers who had been receiving these extensions up to now?
>> It will really cause fear at a concern for their livelihood because there's going to be inevitably a delay.
Government is not precise.
It's not necessarily quick.
sometimes that process takes between 3 to 6 to 10 months.
And so this idea you'll be able to file and still receive before your work permit expires isn't necessarily accurate.
And that's why this policy was put in place to begin with.
And so now we're sort of back at square one where workers are going to have to reconsider if they're going to be even eligible for work.
And their employers are also gonna have to figure out what their duties are.
If this person no longer has work authorization, so really puts everything on its that mean that, you know, some folks in the in the interim right are going to be without a legal work permit without legal work authorization.
Yes, very possible if their work permit expires and they're no longer eligible for this extension, they might be in this limbo where there are no longer eligible to work with this authorization.
And so their employers are going to have to be responsive.
>> And it can really make even more difficult.
What kind of workers will this impact industries?
So far?
I workers are everywhere.
Immigrants are working in all sectors in on this is I think what's important is that this extension is getting removed from folks who are potentially apply for asylum for survivors of domestic violence, who's our spouses or pine for them, they will no longer be eligible for this extension.
So any no particular industry or a impacted more than others?
No, not necessarily.
It's more this the immigrants themselves about their employers, their employees have a duty as employers re that your Department of Labor gives you things that you have to do.
And so if your work are no longer has work authorization, there are certain steps you have to take.
And that also has employer.
Those are steps that you are now have to fill poll done on you and have to then work through, which is also some more chaos and more responsibilities.
Lot more questions.
sure.
So when announcing this change, the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement, quote, It's a common sense measure to ensure appropriate vetting and screening has been completed before and aliens employment authorization or documentation is extended.
All aliens must remember that working in the United States is a privilege, not a right.
A first.
What do you make of that statement?
And with the lack of renewals puts immigrants at risk of being detained by ICE?
>> Well, I do think it's really important to emphasize you know, part of the process here for a person to get a work permit extension is for them actually practice.
We file an application to renew their work permit, which has their name, which has as they're paying for this.
They also have a benefit like with it might be an asylum application Rva Green Card application.
It also impacts refugees and asylees to some extent, right, because that at some of them want to use these Berkman says identity docking just easy way to prove that there weren't authorized.
So the government has every tool that needs to be able to that individuals and fact the reason why I like it was sent by yet is that that work permit extension rule has been in place since at least 2016 in some form is to help with gaps in employment to make sure that there's certainty.
So the government is able to that individuals, if he wants to, just doesn't have the resources right now to do so.
And streamlined as we for our current applications take months to process us.
actually requests individuals to submit the 6 months in advance.
But there are plenty of applications are going to be impacted but take more than 6 months to process.
So I do think that there isn't a strong base is here with government is arguing that they don't have the tools to be able to properly vet individuals.
>> Adria what options are available for those who whose work permits may expire in the interim maybe they're Are they not able to work at that point?
Not legally.
Anyway.
But unfortunately.
>> work permit expires before they would be able to work up to 6 months or even 540 days.
That was extended divided administration.
But if there were critics buyers and their new it hasn't been approved.
they have to stop working unless they might have some legal ramifications for their benefit applications.
So this is what's going to cause a lot of confusion and a lot of uncertainty for employers and workers because they may have been waiting until last Thursday.
They might have a month left 5 months left on their current work permit thinking that they were going to benefit from the previous extension.
But now because that's constantly at the end of last week, they might submitted their application.
But I wasn't take months for that to occur.
So people might be happy to lose weeks, even months of work because of this change.
>> Jackie Stephens, ICE has been we know detaining asylum seekers temporary protected status.
Many other immigrants and refugees who have documentation.
>> How likely is it that people with expired work parent permits will then be targeted?
Because, you know, as we heard a drill say, you know, the old this documentation provides information on where people are living and working.
>> thank you question.
what it does is it enlarges the scope of people who are going to be subject to ice, arrests, sand and harassment puts people who are already in a precarious position in further jeopardy.
Tell me more.
What are what are your primary concerns for how this role might impact the economy at large?
>> Right.
So I mean, this will was rolled out in the most irresponsible way possible that the 2024 Biden rule that this is revising what through meticulous estimates.
And talked about the impact of rule on the economy.
benefit?
>> It's just federal government increasing taxes that collected by allowing people remain in authorized to work you know, therefore, in their talks, the new completely disregards any kind estimates on the economy that are supposed to be there by and instead of that.
But think is in kind of You're wandering throwing around Trump's about national security and Molotov cocktails and, you know, a lot you know, kind of snowy is that are talk and not tied to the conditions of hundreds of thousands of people are lawfully in the country and lawfully employed.
You know, the concern about terrorists and so vetting disregards the fact that this is a renewal.
So the people who are working have already been authorized and if there are any particular problems are criminal histories and so forth, those are going to caught by, you know, monitoring and police and so forth and regular kinds you know, run for its money operations that we have present.
There's new evidence at all someone having work authorization is going to be more likely to commit crime.
And in fact, if you remove the work authorization, it obviously follows that people are going to be incentivized to, you know, to to try find a workaround exactly, to find alternative, makes an income.
aside going to go into a drill?
Are there any grounds for a lawsuit against the Trump >> around this rule change?
>> Well, you know, I think there are definitely people are looking into an was mentioning some of the bases here for this rule's implementation and actually bypassing public Notice I things that lawyers are looking about So do we do expect that litigation could be forthcoming because just like other rules that we've seen, that there isn't a lot proper analysis of the impact of this rule.
And there's no ability for people to have a meaningful voice and how it's being constructed.
>> New be aware, obviously we're past October 30th as when this took effect.
And it happened obviously very quickly taking immediate effect.
What can workers due to prepare themselves for renewing their permits now in this new process?
Absolutely.
If you have an attorney, an immigration attorney, you should go and speak to them about renewing your application and you should look to see what you're trying frame is best practices.
180 days.
>> Maybe even more.
You should check to see your processing times what you can do online.
It's just important at this point in time to make sure you're getting a consultation by trusted license immigration attorney or credited DOJ wrapped in sure.
But you know what?
Your options are kind of resources.
Do you recommend people go in search of?
Well, you can come to that.
He knows pro Dot to learn more about the services that we provide and we're happy to cover for all Southern partners as Drills in question to you was what resources do you recommend people go searching for?
>> Well, I do think that it's really important stay on top of the news.
Make sure people hear about any losses that are being imposed against this.
But also I people should go and check their right now and make sure that if their ability carry it is about to end opposed to ending.
But they You know, as the V a said, head and think about some those applications.
>> All right.
That's where we'll have to leave the best of luck to those folks who are dealing with this new process.
Nubia Willman a drill rose going.
Jackie Stephens, thanks all of you for joining We're back to wrap things up right after this.
>> Reflecting the people
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