USCIS pioneers work permit pre-registration program for migrants who utilize the CBP One app

The Biden administration has piloted a program that allows migrants who have entered the U.S. lawfully to pre-register for work permits. This pre-registration allows for expedited processing of work permits so that they are able to more quickly receive legal work authorization.

Under current U.S. law, migrants who have filed asylum cases are not eligible to receive work permits until 180 days after they have submitted their applications. This pilot program allows migrants who have made an appointment through the app, those already paroled into the U.S., and those who have already applied for asylum to begin working sooner, with an approximate processing time of 30 days.

Justice Department sues Texas over new law allowing police to arrest migrants suspected of crossing the border illegally

The U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit in a federal court in Austin on Wednesday, suing the state of Texas over state Senate Bill 4, which makes it a state crime to cross the Texas-Mexico border between ports of entry.

“SB 4 is clearly unconstitutional,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “Under the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution and long standing Supreme Court precedent, states cannot adopt immigration laws that interfere with the framework enacted by Congress. The Justice Department will continue to fulfill its responsibility to uphold the Constitution and enforce federal law.”

House Republicans visit the U.S.-Mexico border in Eagle Pass, Texas

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R, LA) led a group of 60 Republican representatives on a tour of the southern border in Eagle Pass, TX on Wednesday. This trip occurred while Congress and the Biden administration continue to negotiate border policy changes tied to a foreign aid package.

Speaker Johnson and other House Republicans are pushing for severe restrictions on the right to seek asylum in the U.S and on the use of humanitarian parole along with other restrictive immigration policies. Rather than continuing with reactive policies and temporary executive actions, the U.S. needs comprehensive, proactive immigration reform. To learn more and to contact your legislators, click on this link.