Advocacy Updates for ASAP Members

May 13, 2026 Updates

ASAP Fights for New Work Permit Auto-Extensions in Court and in the U.S. Congress  

ASAP is fighting for new 540-day work permit extensions! 

For years, ASAP members have told us that work permit renewal delays are a huge problem. In 2022, members came up with an important solution: automatic 540-day work permit extensions. With the auto-extension, if you applied to renew your work permit on time, your previous work permit was extended for 540 days past the printed expiration date. 

Unfortunately, on October 30, 2025, the government changed its policy and stopped issuing new automatic work permit extensions. If you already received a 540-day extension of your work permit on or before October 29, your extension is still valid. While this policy change is not affecting most asylum seekers yet, it has already started to affect other immigrants.

What ASAP is doing in court:

ASAP’s goal is to push the government to issue new permit auto-extensions again – before most asylum seekers are impacted. We know that work permits are extremely important to members. In a recent survey about work permits, members told us that their biggest concerns are future work permit changes and delays. 

Last month, ASAP lawyers filed a new lawsuit to challenge the policy ending work permit auto-extensions. This lawsuit is different from a lawsuit brought on behalf of ASAP members  – because it was filed on behalf of just one person. As a result, we did not ask members to vote on the lawsuit. You can read more about ASAP lawsuits here.

The new lawsuit is called Jane Doe v. USCIS. The lawsuit argues that the government acted unlawfully when it stopped issuing new 540-day work permit extensions. 

What ASAP is doing in Congress:

In addition to the new lawsuit, ASAP is also advocating about this issue in the U.S. Senate. At the end of April, the Senate voted on whether the government should issue new work permit auto-extensions. ASAP and our partners worked hard to explain the importance of auto-extensions to many different Senators. 

Unfortunately, even though many Senators voted to support new extensions, the vote was not successful. 47 Senators voted in favor of bringing back the 540-day work permit extension, and 50 voted against. Senators from both political parties voted in favor of the 540-day auto-extension – showing that elected officials from both parties care about this issue. ASAP will continue to educate members of Congress about the importance of the 540-day work permit extension.

We will keep you updated about our efforts to secure new work permit auto-extensions for immigrants in the U.S.

New data shows major contributions of asylum seekers to the economy

ASAP knows that access to work permits is one of ASAP members’ top priorities. But ASAP members can’t fight for work permit access alone. 

With that in mind, ASAP launched a new project called WorkPermits.US to partner with the business community to fight for stable access to work permits. Through this partnership, we have educated more than 200 businesses on policy changes impacting asylum seekers and successfully mobilized businesses to submit public comments opposing harmful work permit rules. 

WorkPermits.US also studies how asylum seekers help the U.S. economy. For example, new Harvard Business School research shows that asylum seekers don't just support themselves — asylum seekers raise wages and create jobs for U.S. citizens, too. WorkPermits.US also published a report showing that 2.3 million asylum seekers are performing critical work in every U.S. region and state.

Thank you to the countless ASAP members who have spoken out about the contributions of asylum seekers in the U.S. We have produced this research in response to your suggestions, and we will continue to keep you updated about WorkPermits.US!

You can read more on the WorkPermits.US homepage and data page.

April 29, 2026 Updates

Thousands joined ASAP members in opposing the proposed work permit rule

In our last advocacy update, we shared that ASAP members were leading the fight against the government’s new proposed work permit rule — a rule that would make it nearly impossible for asylum seekers to apply for an initial work permit and make renewals more difficult. You can read more about the proposed rule on this ASAP page.  

Thanks to ASAP members’ advocacy, thousands of people and organizations submitted comments opposing the proposed changes. The comment period closed on April 24, 2026. Here is what happened:

ASAP submitted a comment featuring statements from 512 members

ASAP submitted a comment opposing the proposed rule. The comment reflected the ideas and concerns of thousands of ASAP members who have spoken about work permits over many years. In the comment, ASAP strongly opposed the proposed rule and urged the government to withdraw its proposal.

ASAP’s comment specifically featured 512 anonymous statements from the ASAP members who filled out last month’s survey. Thank you to the ASAP members who took the time to share your thoughts about the proposed rule! 

Thanks to ASAP members’ advocacy, thousands of other people and groups opposed the rule 

ASAP staff shared members' concerns with hundreds of key partners — including businesses, city and state governments, and labor unions — and many of those partners submitted their own comments uplifting what ASAP members shared. 

In total, over 7,100 individuals, businesses, local governments, labor unions, places of worship, and nonprofit organizations submitted comments in response to the proposed rule. 

Here are some of the groups who commented against the proposed rule:

• 19 U.S. states and the District of Columbia (read here) 

• More than 200 U.S. mayors and county executives (read here)

• A previous Director of USCIS and other recent former government officials (read here)

• The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the largest membership organization of businesses in the U.S. (read here)

• The AFL-CIO, one of the largest labor unions in the U.S. (read here)

• The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (read here) 

• 30 Members of U.S. Congress and 12 U.S. Senators (read here and here)

• Dozens of organizations focused on children and families (read here) 

• The IT Industry Council, which represents companies such as Amazon, Apple, Google, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Visa (read here)

• And many more – you can read all of the comments submitted in response to the proposed rule here.

When will the government issue a final version of the rule? 

We do not know. The government may decide to issue a final rule in the coming months. The government could also decide not to issue a final version of the rule at all.

Before the government can finalize a rule, the government is required to review and respond to the comments. Thanks to ASAP members’ advocacy, DHS must now review thousands of comments. We do not know how long it will take DHS to review these comments. 

If DHS tries to finalize the rule without adequately responding to every significant concern that they receive, a group or individual could file a lawsuit in federal court. If the lawsuit is successful, a court could prevent the final rule from going into effect. 

ASAP will continue to closely monitor this rule and keep ASAP members updated. 

In the meantime, there is still time to apply for an initial work permit before the proposed rule becomes final. You can apply for an initial work permit 150 days after you apply for asylum. 

Update on processing times for work permits

This month, ASAP received updated information on work permit processing times for asylum seekers.

USCIS is processing 88% of initial work permits in 30 days.

ASAP obtained updated information about processing times for initial work permits through a lawsuit called Rosario v. USCIS. This data is current as of March 31, 2026. USCIS is still processing most initial work permits within 30 days. 

Here are the details:

• 88.2% of asylum seekers received a decision about their initial work permit within the correct 30-day period in March. This is a little better than in December, when 82.8% of initial work permit applications were processed within 30 days. 

• 94.5% of asylum seekers received a decision about their initial work permit applications within 60 days in March. That’s a little better than December, when 90.8% of initial work permit applications were processed within 60 days.

Unfortunately, work permit renewal delays are a serious problem.

ASAP recently received data about work permit renewal processing from USCIS. Even though this data is already out-of-date, we are sharing it with you in the interest of transparency. 

In December 2025, USCIS issued a “benefits pause” for 40 countries and stopped processing all work permit renewals for asylum seekers from 40 countries. Since that time, work permit renewal delays have increased very sharply, with hundreds of thousands of applications not being processed at all. 

The data that USCIS recently provided is from the period before the benefits pause was implemented in December 2025. As a result, this data is not representative of today’s facts. You can view the historic data from September 2025 here. At that time, renewal processing delays were already growing large — even before processing stopped entirely for 40 countries.

As a reminder: If you applied to renew your work permit as an asylum seeker before October 30, 2025 and before your work permit expired, your work permit is automatically extended for 540 days after the expiration date printed on the card. 

ASAP members support birthright citizenship at the Supreme Court

On April 1, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments about birthright citizenship: the right of all children born in the U.S. to be recognized as American citizens. We expect the Supreme Court to make a decision in this case by early July 2026. In the meantime, all babies born in the U.S. are being recognized as U.S. citizens.

The case at the Supreme Court is not ASAP's case, but ASAP members have continued to defend birthright citizenship in many ways. As we shared last month, ASAP submitted a document called an “amicus brief” to the Supreme Court, which shared member stories and presented legal arguments in support of birthright citizenship. We also helped organize other groups to submit amicus briefs as well. 

ASAP members have also continued to speak out to the media, including in CNN, Time, The Washington Post, HuffPost, and OSV News. Through this work, ASAP is building bridges with faith groups and working to educate the public about why this right matters.

Whatever the Supreme Court decides, ASAP will keep fighting for immigrant families and their children's futures. 

Learn more about birthright citizenship and the related lawsuits.

March 4, 2026 Updates

Thank you to 1,500+ members who shared your work permit concerns

In December, we asked members to tell us what immigration policies they care about most, and members told us that work permits continue to be their top priority. 

Last month, we asked members to tell us more about their work permit concerns. More than 1,500 members responded to our work permit survey. Thank you to every member who took the time to share your concerns! Thanks to you, we now know what issues to focus on in our work. 

A majority of members said they were worried about future changes to work permit rules.

A majority of the members who responded to the survey (53%) told us that their work permits are okay for now, but they are worried about future changes to work permit rules. One member said, “My biggest concern is that they stop the issuance of work permits or that they change the rules to make it harder, which will, of course, affect my ability to keep my job.”

Shortly after we surveyed members, the government proposed new changes that would make it harder to receive work permits in the future. Based on the high level of member concerns, we are now leading a major campaign against the proposed work permit changes, and members who are interested can help by sharing your thoughts.

Many members also said they were worried about losing their jobs and delays.

26% of members who responded to the survey told us they had lost a job because of their work permit, or could lose a job very soon. 19% said that their current work permit might expire before they receive a new work permit. 19% said their initial work permit is delayed. One member said, "There are many people like me who lost their job because their work permit expired or was denied. My hope is for every immigrant to get a chance to live and have access to work freely."

ASAP is very concerned about members losing their jobs and about work permit delays. We have been working to build partnerships with businesses, labor unions, cities, and other organizations who can help pressure the government about these issues. Through these partnerships, we have already successfully defended the ability of many asylum seekers to remain in the workforce. 

We have mobilized partners to ask the government to issue new 540-day automatic work permit extensions if work permit renewal applications remain pending. We are also mobilizing employers and others to speak out to the press about the harm experienced by local communities when immigrants fall out of the workforce. 

If you are an ASAP member and you have questions about your work permit, you can send your questions to [email protected] and our team of expert lawyers will respond. 

Very few members said they were not concerned about their work permits at all.  

Only 6% of members who responded to the survey said they were not concerned about their work permit. 

At ASAP, we will continue to work as hard as we can to protect work permits for asylum seekers. Thank you again to everyone who completed the survey, and to all of you for being part of the ASAP community.

ASAP members lead the fight against the new proposed work permit rule

ASAP is fighting to stop the government from making it harder for asylum seekers to get work permits. On February 23, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) proposed major changes to work permits for asylum seekers. The proposed rule is not final, which means it is not currently the law. The rule will be finalized sometime after April 24, 2026. ASAP strongly opposes the new proposed rule. 

ASAP is launching a campaign against the proposed rule.

This month, ASAP launched a campaign to pressure DHS not to finalize the proposed rule. From February 23 to April 24, 2026, DHS is accepting “comments” from individuals and groups who want to share their opinions about the rule. 

By law, DHS must read and respond to all of these comments before they can finalize the rule. It is important that many groups and individuals submit comments for the following reasons: 

1. The government may choose to remove certain harmful proposals if many groups express similar concerns.

2. The final rule could be delayed if the government needs more time to respond to many different concerns.

3. A court could prevent the final rule from going into effect if the government fails to respond to every concern.

ASAP is asking many groups to comment on the proposed rule. For example, last week, more than 120 people from more than 80 nonprofit organizations, labor unions, and local government offices met to discuss how to comment against the proposed work permit rule. ASAP explained the proposed changes and asked everyone to comment. We are grateful that so many groups and individuals are planning to advocate against this proposal. 

ASAP is also educating business owners about the proposed rule and asking them to comment.  

ASAP will include members’ thoughts in our comment against the proposed rule.

ASAP will also write and submit our own comment opposing the proposed rule. ASAP’s comment will feature ASAP members’ concerns about this proposed rule. You can include your thoughts in ASAP’s comment by filling out this survey. ASAP will include members’ thoughts anonymously (without your name) in our comment.

If you prefer to not be anonymous or you would like to submit a comment to DHS directly, you can submit your comment online on this government webpage. Here are things to know: 

• Comments are public. To protect your privacy, you can limit the amount of personal information you include in your comment. 

• Comments must be submitted in English or with an English translation. 

• Comments must include the code DHS Docket No. USCIS-2025–0370 in the text of the comment. 

• Comments are due on April 24, 2026, before 11:59 pm Eastern Time. 

ASAP gets asylum seekers’ stories to the Supreme Court on birthright citizenship

The U.S. Supreme Court is currently considering whether the Executive Order trying to limit birthright citizenship for children of immigrants is legal. We believe it is not. 

There are multiple lawsuits about birthright citizenship, and the case that the Supreme Court is considering is called Barbara v. Trump. This is not ASAP’s lawsuit, but we are still working hard to defend birthright citizenship. 

In February, ASAP and many other groups told the Supreme Court why the Birthright Citizenship Executive Order is illegal, against the U.S. Constitution, and wrong. ASAP submitted our arguments in a document called an "amicus brief." Our brief explains how the Birthright Citizenship Executive Order would impact asylum seekers and their children if the Court allows it to go into effect. Right now, the Executive Order is not in effect, and the government is required to recognize the U.S. citizenship of all babies born in the United States. 

ASAP’s brief includes stories from ASAP members, and explains how this Executive Order could harm asylum seekers and other immigrants who have built their lives in the United States. We want the Supreme Court to hear the experiences and perspectives of ASAP members and show what is at stake for families seeking safety and stability. 

The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on April 1, 2026, and will probably make a decision after that, before early July 2026. You can read more about birthright citizenship here.

February 4, 2026 Updates

A judge ended the pause of the annual asylum fee, but ASAP’s lawsuit continues

Unfortunately, on February 2, 2026, the judge in ASAP members' lawsuit ended the pause on the annual asylum fee. This means that USCIS and immigration courts can require the annual asylum fee again. 

ASAP members won the fee pause in October 2025 because of serious problems with the way the government was implementing the annual asylum fee. In January, the government said they fixed the problems and asked the judge to end the fee pause. ASAP members are still experiencing problems with the fees, so ASAP told the judge that the fee pause should continue. Unfortunately, the judge agreed with the government and decided to end the fee pause on February 2. 

Even though the judge has ended the fee pause, the lawsuit is not over. For example, ASAP is still arguing that even if the annual asylum fee applied to asylum claims, it should not apply to claims for Withholding of Removal, which should be automatically included anytime someone submits a Form I-589, or to claims for protection under the Convention Against Torture. Please contact ASAP at [email protected] if you had a case in immigration court and you received a removal order due to failure to pay the annual asylum fee, without the judge considering your claim for Withholding of Removal or protection under the Convention Against Torture.

ASAP will continue to fight this lawsuit, and we will keep our lawsuit page updated. You can also read our fee page to learn how to know if your annual asylum fee is due and how to pay.

Please share your work permit concerns

In December, you told us that work permits are your top priority. We are now hoping to learn more about your biggest concerns with work permits so we can focus our work in those areas. 

Please fill out this survey by February 10.  Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with us and for being part of the ASAP community!

January 13, 2026 Updates

Thank you to 3,000+ members who shared what policies are most important

Last month, we asked members to tell us what issues they care about most, by filling out a quick survey. More than 3,000 members responded. Thank you to everyone who shared their opinions! We will use this information to guide our work.

The top two issues identified by members were (1) work permits and (2) detention and deportation. 

First, 83.7% of members said that asylum seekers should be able to get and keep work permits. This was the number one priority in the survey. In the words of one member, “Asylum seekers should be able to legally work while waiting for pending applications so that we can live, and survive here.” Work permits have remained a top member priority for years, based on insights from over 100,000 asylum seekers. 

Second, 83.3% of members said that asylum seekers should not be detained or deported to third countries. As one member said, “Asylum seekers should feel safe to go to their interviews without being scared of possible detention.” 

After that, between 60% and 70% of members said the following four issues were important to them: asylum cases should be processed instead of paused; it should be possible to win asylum without extremely strict standards; your specific country of origin should not prevent you from winning immigration status; and if you have won asylum or another immigration status, it should not be taken away.

ASAP will use these responses to guide our work. 

ASAP has been focused on access to work permits for a long time, based on members’ longstanding priorities. You can find more than 30 questions and answers about work permits, and read about some of our recent work permit advocacy below. Based on this survey, we will continue this work and also find new ways to fight to protect work permits.  

Based on the survey results, we will also prioritize issues related to detention and deportation to third countries – both through creating resources and supporting advocacy efforts. We have already added updated information about deportation to third countries and detention to our website. And we will continue to share more information about policies and advocacy efforts related to these issues. 

Again, we are so grateful to every member who took the time to fill out the survey. Thank you all for being a part of the ASAP community.

ASAP works with businesses to protect access to work permits 

As part of ASAP’s strategy to defend access to work permits for asylum seekers, ASAP works with businesses to speak out about the importance of keeping asylum seekers in the workforce. 

For example, in December, ASAP worked with business groups to tell the U.S. government to make it easier for asylum seekers to access and renew their work permits. Business groups asked the government for quicker processing times and steady access to work permits. They shared how important asylum seekers are to the U.S. economy and workforce. 

We were excited that some of the largest business groups in the United States chose to speak out: the U.S. Chamber of Commerce (the largest membership of employers), the Critical Labor Coalition, the National Association of Manufacturers, and the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors. We hope the government will listen to these business groups, and that their advocacy will make a difference. 

Also in December, ASAP worked with business leaders to speak out in the media about how recent work permit changes are harmful for businesses. You can read one of the many media articles that came out of this work.

In the months ahead, ASAP will continue to work with businesses and the work permit coalition to fight for access to work permits, and we will keep you updated on this page.

Update on processing times for initial work permits

This month, ASAP obtained updated information about processing times for initial work permits through a lawsuit called Rosario v. USCIS. This data is current as of December 31, 2025. 

Initial work permit processing times improved significantly since the last report from October.  However, USCIS processed fewer initial work permit applications in November and December than in October. 

Here are the details: 

• 82.8% of asylum seekers received a decision about their initial work permit within the correct 30-day period in December, and 81.6% received a decision within 30 days in November. These two months were much better than in October, when 51.6% of initial work permit applications were processed within 30 days.

• 90.8% of asylum seekers received a decision about their initial work permit application within 60 days in December, and 87.2% received a decision within 60 days in November. These two months were much better than October, when 64.1% of initial work permit applications were processed within 60 days. 

• Even though processing delays improved in November and December 2025, fewer total asylum seekers received decisions on their applications compared with previous months. In December, only 50,410 asylum seekers received a decision on their initial work permit applications, and 89,148 asylum seekers received a decision in November. This is a large decrease from the 121,341 asylum seekers who received a decision in October. 

ASAP will continue to advocate for USCIS to fix processing delays and to process more work permit applications.