US PresidentDonald Trumps administration on Thursday cut to 18 months, from five years, the period of time work permits are valid for refugees, asylum seekers and other migrants.
The move, the latest in the administrations sweeping immigration crackdown, took place just two days after it halted immigration applications for citizens from 19 nations.
It also followed allegations that two National Guard members were shot last week by an Afghan man who entered the United States through a resettlement programme after the 2021 military withdrawal.
Joseph Edlow, director ofUSCitizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), cited the 26 November shooting in the US capital as a reason for the change.
Reducing the maximum validity period for employment authorisation will ensure that those seeking to work in the United States do not threaten public safety or promote harmfulanti-Americanideologies, Edlow said in a statement.
Read moreUS Department of Homeland Security launches immigration crackdown in New Orleans
After the attack on National Guard service members in our nations capital by an alien who was admitted into this country by the previous administration, its even more clear that USCIS must conduct frequent vetting of aliens, he added.
USCIS said the shortened work permit validity will apply to migrants admitted as refugees,migrantsgranted asylum and those whose deportation has been suspended.
On Tuesday, the Trump administration halted immigration applications for citizens of 19 nations already subject to travel restrictions.
Green card and citizenship processing was halted for people from those countries, which include Afghanistan, Yemen, Haiti,Venezuela, Sudan andSomalia.
Trump, who campaigned on a pledge to deport millions of undocumented migrants, said after the National Guard shooting that he planned to permanently pause migration from all Third World countries.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
Originally published on France24
