In 2016, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), lacking the capacity to review the work permit applications it was receiving, issued a rule that non-citizens who fall under a specific set of immigration statuses (asylees and asylum seekers, domestic violence survivors, folks waiting for green card approvals, people with Temporary Protected Status [TPS], and others) are eligible to have work permits extended automatically by 180 days upon their application for renewal. These work permit holders could now legally return to their jobs without having to wait for the government to catch up with its paperwork.

 

This rule was later expanded, granting 540 days’ work permission, and in December of 2024, it was made “permanent.”

 

On October 30, 2025, the Trump administration issued a new directive that strikes down these automatic work permit extensions. It is an interim final rule, meaning it has been in effect since the date of issuance, but the rule may be changed after the period during which the public can make comments. That public commenting period ends on December 1.

 

The New Sanctuary Coalition invites its members to read the International Rescue Committee’s (IRC’s) toolkit for making a public comment on the rule, and submit their comments by December 1.