Trump cuts refugee work permits to 18 months after Washington attack
In a new escalation of its immigration policies, the administration of US President Donald Trump issued a decision to shorten the validity period of work permits granted to refugees, asylum seekers, and immigrants with suspended deportation orders. Under the new decision, the permit duration has been reduced from five years to just 18 months, representing a radical shift in previous procedures.
Background to the decision and the Washington incident
This swift action by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) came as a direct response to a security incident in Washington, D.C., on November 26, in which an Afghan man shot and wounded two National Guard members. The suspect had entered the United States under the Afghan resettlement program following the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2011, a fact the current administration has used to justify stricter vetting and monitoring procedures.
Joseph Edlow, administrator of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, stated in an official statement that the purpose of shortening the work permit duration was to ensure national security, saying, “Reducing the maximum validity period of work permits will ensure that those seeking employment in the United States do not pose a threat to public safety or promote anti-American ideologies.” He emphasized that the recent incident demonstrated the urgent need for more frequent security checks on foreigners present in the United States.
Context of the comprehensive campaign against migration
This decision is not an isolated measure, but rather part of a broader campaign led by the Trump administration to reshape the U.S. immigration system. Just two days prior, it followed the suspension of immigration applications for citizens of 19 countries, including those experiencing unrest such as Afghanistan, Yemen, Sudan, Somalia, Venezuela, and Haiti. This suspension includes procedures for obtaining permanent residency (green cards) and citizenship, leaving thousands of immigrants in a state of legal uncertainty.
Expected repercussions and bureaucracy
This decision is expected to have far-reaching administrative and economic repercussions. Reducing the permit duration to 18 months means refugees will have to submit renewal applications more frequently, increasing their financial burden and adding to the backlog of cases at already overburdened immigration offices. Observers believe this move could create a bureaucratic bottleneck that hinders refugees' ability to settle into jobs, as employers are generally hesitant to hire people with short-term work permits.
Return to strict auditing policies
This trend reflects a strong return to the extreme vetting policies promised by Trump during his election campaign, in which he pledged to deport millions of undocumented immigrants and halt immigration from what he termed "Third World countries." Experts indicate that linking work permits to periodic security reviews aims to give authorities greater opportunities to review refugee cases regularly, thus facilitating the revocation of residency or deportation should any security concerns arise. This shifts the philosophy of asylum in the United States from long-term protection to a temporary legal status contingent upon continuous review.
