The Biden administration has granted federal work permits for over 3.3 million illegal immigrants, with many being given these permits before being granted asylum, a green card, or any documentation stating they can legally stay within the country, according to a Center for Immigration Studies fellow. This is despite a 180-day waiting rule for immigrant work permits.
A six-month waiting rule for asylum seekers applying for work permits was implemented in 1996 by the Immigration and Naturalization Service, but Biden has been slowly walking chipping away at this requirement under his term, Center for Immigration Studies fellow Don Barnett wrote for the New York Post.
Barnett wrote, “In a blizzard of rules and over 530 immigration-related executive actions — already blowing past the previous record compiled by Trump over 4 years — the Biden administration has expanded admissions or created brand new admission pipelines under eight distinct and significant programs.”
According to Barnett, these programs include family reunification programs for those who qualify from Honduras, Haiti, Guatemala, El Salvador, Ecuador, Colombia, and Cuba, programs for those in Afghanistan and Ukraine, and a separate direct flight program for those in Cuba, Haiti, Venezuela, and Nicaragua.
Additionally, there is the CBPOne app in which foreign nationals can book an appointment with US border authorities. Barnett said that around 2.3 million people had entered the US through these programs as of fall 2023.
Despite these programs, these illegal immigrants may not have lawful immigration status and would not be eligible for legal permanent residency or a green card under these programs.
