Regulatory Action Center Supports Trump and Cuccinelli's Commonsense Immigration Reforms

FreedomWorks Foundation’s Regulatory Action Center (RAC) is supporting acting Director of US Customs and Immigration Services, Ken Cuccinelli in reforming our nation’s asylum regulations to make it easier to perform background checks on potentially dangerous individuals. To make your voice heard and to participate in the comment campaign described below, click HERE.

The United States Customs and Immigration Services (USCIS) is seeking to reform its asylum processing rules to be able to better screen incoming applicants. Under current law, pending asylum applicants can also file for employment authorization. USCIS must grant or deny this employment authorization request within 30 days. This arbitrary timeline does not reflect present day realities and puts officials at USCIS in a tight bind when it comes to vetting asylum applicants. This unnecessarily puts our national security at risk.

Furthermore, there is no such restriction on any other category of immigration application processing. This means that USCIS has to divert resources away from other categories for those seeking to come here legally in order to meet the deadline for asylum applicants seeking work authorization. This is another way to potentially game our immigration system and put a strain on the resources available to vet incoming immigrants.

The acting Director of USCIS, Ken Cuccinelli said, “Established before 9/11, this processing timeline does not reflect the operational realities USCIS currently faces when adjudicating employment authorization applications. Our first priority as an agency is to safeguard the integrity of our nation’s legal immigration system from those who seek to exploit or abuse it. This proposal allows us to conduct the kind of systematic vetting and identity verification procedures expected of an agency charged with protecting national security.”

USCIS has opened a public comment period on the matter that expires on Friday, November 8th. the Regulatory Action Center is mobilizing grassroots support for this important commonsense reform that will help secure our nation.

To participate in this public comment period to let the administration know this measure is important and has broad support, make your voice heard HERE.