New DHS rule could affect Puerto Rico’s immigrant labor
A new rule from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security ending automatic extensions for Employment Authorization Documents, or EADs, could significantly affect immigrant workers in Puerto Rico, immigration attorneys said.
The change, effective Oct. 30, ends the policy that allowed individuals to keep working legally while their renewal applications were pending, potentially disrupting income stability for thousands of families.
“Even with a conservative estimate, around 10,000 immigrants in Puerto Rico could be affected by this policy,” said attorney Jean-Paul Castro, founder of CALAM Immigration Law PLLC.
He said many immigrants with pending asylum or adjustment of status cases depend on timely EAD renewals to remain employed.
“Under the new rule, even if an applicant renews their EAD on the very first day within the 180-day window before expiration, they could still lose their ability to work and be fired simply because of government delays,” Castro said.
According to DHS, the rule is intended to strengthen vetting and security reviews, though the agency acknowledges that existing processing backlogs already strain operations.
The new policy eliminates the previous 540-day and 180-day automatic extensions, raising the likelihood of employment gaps for applicants awaiting renewal decisions.
Castro warned that the change could destabilize both families and employers.
“Thousands could lose their jobs temporarily — even when fully compliant with the law — simply because the government didn’t act fast enough,” he said.
Interesting that you seek comments from a private sector, immigration lawyer for this article. Was there an attempt to secure a response from the state? You would think the state government would weigh in on an issue with this potential human and business impact – which is about “legal” aliens. Will the government continue its head in the sand response to Trump policies that affect Puerto Rico and its residents?