No Work, No Hope? What Trump’s Draft Rule Means for Thousands of Asylum Seekers

The Trump administration is drafting a proposal to indefinitely bar most asylum seekers in the U.S. from receiving work permits, marking a significant shift in long-standing immigration policy.

According to two senior officials at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) who spoke to CBS News on condition of anonymity, the proposal would suspend new employment authorization for asylum applicants until U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is able to adjudicate asylum claims within an average of 180 days.

Under current federal law, asylum seekers can request a work permit 150 days after filing their asylum application. If their case is still pending, they become eligible for a work permit after an additional 30 days — effectively 180 days in total.

However, this new rule would halt the issuance of new work permits unless and until USCIS is meeting the 180-day adjudication timeline — a benchmark that the agency has historically struggled to meet. A 2023 government watchdog report found that more than 77% of asylum applications were still pending past the 180-day mark, and nearly 40% remained unresolved for over two years.

The proposed rule is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to tighten immigration controls and limit access to asylum protections. Officials argue that the current system incentivizes economic migration under the guise of asylum and burdens government resources.

Yet immigration advocates warn that the proposal could have far-reaching humanitarian and economic consequences. Without legal avenues to work, asylum seekers may be forced into underground labor markets, increasing their vulnerability to exploitation and undermining public safety.

While the proposed regulation has not yet been finalized or published for public comment, it is likely to face legal challenges and strong opposition from immigrant rights groups and some members of Congress.

If enacted, the rule could leave tens of thousands of asylum seekers without the means to legally support themselves or their families — a shift critics say contradicts both American values and international obligations toward people fleeing persecution.