Dozens of mayors and county officials from across the country are calling on the Biden administration to permanently extend the number of days a work permit remains valid while renewal is pending for certain applicants. It's the latest ask for federal action by local Democratic officials who say their cities are struggling with a surge in migrants.

What You Need To Know

  • Dozens of mayors and county officials from across the country are calling on the Biden administration to permanently extend the number of days a work permit remains valid while renewal is pending for certain applicants
  • It marks the latest ask for federal action by local Democratic officials who say their cities are struggling with a surge in migrants 
  • It comes as the border as taken center stage in Washington for weeks with the House GOP moving forward with efforts to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and a bipartisan border deal being stripped from a foreign aid package 

In an email sent to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Ur Jaddou, the group of 43 local officials asked the administration to increase the automatic extension for Employment Authorization Documents, allowing them to stay valid for 540 days — rather than the current 180 — amid the renewal process.  

“The undersigned Cities for Action mayors and county executives write to request that you urgently issue a permanent automatic extension of work authorization in the form of an interim final rule that extends work permits for 540 days or longer,” the officials wrote. “Without this, hundreds of thousands of immigrant workers will lose their work authorization, businesses will lose staff, and our cities and counties will face an increasing challenge to provide shelter to the public.” 

Those who signed on to the note said they were “frustrated that our communities’ immigrants may soon lose their work authorization due to processing delays and the federal government’s inaction.” Such an occurrence, the officials said, would hurt local economies, particularly impacting businesses struggling with labor shortages, and require cities to provide additional shelter space. 

In 2022, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services increased the automatic extension period of work permits for certain applicants seeking renewal to 540 days, citing the caseload of renewals and processing delays. But that automatic extension for certain applicants expired in October of last year, reverting back to 180 days. 

In the note to DHS and USCIS, the officials said they are “concerned” that the delays in renewing applications have not improved. 

The mayors who sent the message include Eric Adams of New York, Brandon Johnson of Chicago, Michelle Wu of Boston, Mike Johnston of Denver and dozens of others from more than 20 different states all across the country. 

The request is the latest development in what has been an on-going, months-long plea from local Democratic officials for more federal assistance in addressing the migrant situation in their communities. 

And it comes as the border as taken center stage in Washington for weeks. 

On Tuesday, the House GOP is moving forward with its second attempt to impeach Mayorkas for his handling of the migrant crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border. And earlier in the day, the Senate passed a $95 billion package with foreign assistance after a border deal, worked out over months by a bipartisan group of senators, was stripped from the bill amid GOP pushback. 

Republicans initially insisted on significant changes in border policy to win its support for the foreign aid. 

Former President Donald Trump came out against the border deal, which the White House and Democrats argue was for political reasons. 

House Speaker Mike Johnson on Monday blasted the Senate-passed foreign aid bill, which faces rocky odds in the lower chamber, for not addressing the border.