In another major win for MAGA voters that delivers on the spirit of his campaign promises, President Donald Trump has ended a Biden Era policy of automatically extending employment authorization for migrants, meaning that now economic migrants will have to go through new screening and vetting every time an extension is needed.
As background, while it was illegal immigration that drew the most headlines under the Biden Administration, the matter of legal immigration and the resulant downward pressure placed on wages and available jobs for American workers was a similarly gargantuan issue that many MAGA voters hoped Trump would solve.
It now appears that he is doing so, as not only have major changes been made to the H-1B visa system, requiring larger fees be paid for each H-1B visa, which thus disincentivizes use of the system to suppress American wages, but now this major impediment to the never-ending churn of migrant labor has been put in place.
Such is what the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced in a press release on Wednesday, October 29. It began, “The Department of Homeland Security has announced an interim final rule ending the practice of automatically extending employment authorization documents for aliens filing renewal applications in certain employment authorization categories.”
Continuing, it explained that proper screening and vetting of migrant labor is now being put in place, something that should tremendously benefit American workers. It said, “With this rule, DHS prioritizes the proper screening and vetting of aliens before extending the validity of their employment authorizations.”
Building on that, it explained the mechanics of the new vetting process, saying, “Aliens who file to renew their EAD on or after Oct. 30, 2025, will no longer receive an automatic extension of their EAD. There are limited exceptions to this rule, including extensions provided by law or through a Federal Register notice for TPS-related employment documentation.”
Still not done, it noted how the purpose of the procedures is to crack down on fraud and prevent the immigration of hostile migrants, saying, “Ending automatic extensions of EADs results in more frequent vetting of aliens who apply for employment authorization to work in the United States. Reviewing an alien’s background more often will enable U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to deter fraud and detect aliens with potentially harmful intent so they can be processed for removal from the United States.”
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Noting that this will lead to those migrants who don’t plan ahead losing their jobs, another major win for American workers, the press release provided, “USCIS recommends aliens seek a timely renewal of their EAD by properly filing a renewal application up to 180 days before their EAD expires. The longer an alien waits to file an EAD renewal application, the more likely it is that they may experience a temporary lapse in their employment authorization or documentation.”
Commenting on the new policy, USCIS Director Joseph Edlow explained, “USCIS is placing a renewed emphasis on robust alien screening and vetting, eliminating policies the former administration implemented that prioritized aliens’ convenience ahead of Americans’ safety and security.”
Expanding upon that point, the USCIS Director noted, “It’s a commonsense measure to ensure appropriate vetting and screening has been completed before an alien’s employment authorization or documentation is extended. All aliens must remember that working in the United States is a privilege, not a right.”
Watch Vance sound off on the H-1B visa here: