WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 14th January, 2020) A coalition of more than 20 US states spelled out opposition to a Trump administration plan to prevent political refugees to wait one year before obtaining permission to work in the United States, New York state Attorney General Letitia James said in a press release.
"In a comment letter filed with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the coalition of attorneys general argue that the proposed rule introduces delays, confusion, and unnecessary administrative burdens into the work permit and asylum application processes," the release said on Monday.
The letter was filed by attorney generals from New York and 20 other US states.
The attorney generals said the continuous barrage of attacks on their immigrant communities will not stand.
"Our coalition will fight this discriminatory and prejudiced attempt to push legal immigrants into the shadows," the release said.
Asylum seekers can apply for a work permit if their complete asylum application was received by US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and has been pending for 150 days, according to the release. Once asylum seekers file their application for a work permit, USCIS must act on it within 30 days.
The proposed rule seeks to extend the time period an asylum seeker must wait before applying for a work permit by increasing it to 365 days, the release said.
Many immigrants granted political asylum arrive in the United States with few resources and need work to survive, the release added.
