In the Trump administration’s latest effort to curtail legal immigration, a proposal released Friday would prevent asylum seekers from working legally in the U.S. The draft regulation from the Department of Homeland Security would halt the acceptance of work permit applications and renewals when average processing times at U.S. Immigrant advocates say the proposed policy is a continuation of those efforts, though the Department of Homeland Security framed it differently. AdvertisementBy reducing the number of work permit applications, the statement added, the agency could instead focus on reviewing pending asylum claims to reduce the backlog. The regulation would bar many asylum applicants from work permit eligibility, including those who apply more than a year after arriving in the U.S.

Source: Los Angeles Times February 20, 2026 20:47 UTC