Dear Senator:
On behalf of the AFL-CIO, I urge you to vote yes on S.J.Res.99, which would use the Congressional Review Act to overturn the harmful Interim Final Rule (IFR) that ended the long-standing practice of granting automatic extension of work permits for workers who submitted timely renewal applications.1 Congress should exercise its oversight authority to protect workers and bring predictability to our economy by supporting this resolution and restoring the automatic extension period for expiring Employment Authorization Documents (EADs or work permits) for eligible immigrant workers.
A gap in work authorization could mean the difference between a worker keeping their job and a family making rent or putting food on the table. The automatic extension of work permits is a common-sense policy that ensures predictability for workers and employers alike. Considering the massive backlog at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), terminating this long-standing practice is already impacting workers, and will undoubtedly result in temporary lapses in work authorization that will impact the livelihoods of tens of thousands of working families as well as productivity across industries and states.
The termination of EAD auto-extension is part of the anti-immigrant and anti-worker policies designed to unfairly target immigrant workers who play by the rules, including refugees, Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders, and asylum seekers. Many of those affected are union members who keep our economy running and make invaluable contributions to our communities. They should not be penalized for bureaucratic delays outside their control.
Reversing this rule will positively impact immigrant workers and U.S.-born workers alike. The ability for immigrants to participate in the formal economy and fully exercise their rights under labor and employment law is essential to keeping wages and working conditions fair for all workers. Loss of work authorization not only affects the pocketbooks of working families, but also creates conditions ripe for exploitation as workers lose employment and are pushed into the underground economy.
We urge you to protect worker rights and broader economic security by supporting S.J. Res 99 and undoing this harmful rule.
Sincerely,
Jody Calemine
Director, Government Affairs
2 See the AFL-CIO’s comment on the rule.
1 Removal of the Automatic Extension of Employment Authorization Documents. [CIS No. 2826-25; DHS