Asylum seekers will have to wait until their case is resolved in order to obtain authorization to work, which could take years.

The Trump administration released a proposal to restrict work permits being issued to most asylum-seekers, in a move that is designed to deter immigrants whom officials believe come to the country solely for economic reasons.

Under the proposed rule, US Citizenship and Immigration Services would deny work authorization to most migrants who seek asylum after crossing the US-Mexico border without documentation. This would effectively serve as an economic barrier to the largest group of asylum-seekers in the US The policy would also require all those who are seeking refuge to wait one year from the time they file their asylum application to the time they request a work permit.

The proposed change will make life much more difficult for families seeking asylum in the US and will probably result in an increase in illegal work, which results in less taxes being paid, and more jobs being lost.

Most asylum-seekers need to be employed, but cases can drag on for months or years, because of the backlog in processing asylum petitions at both USCIS and the immigration courts. Some people may have to wait five or six years for their applications to be processed and will not be allowed to work legally. This would prove impossible for most people, as they would need to bring significant financial resources with them to the US, in order to maintain themselves and their families while they wait. This is unrealistic.

But Acting USCIS Director, Ken Cuccinelli, an immigration hardliner who has been leading the agency since June, said the proposal targets those seeking to "exploit" the Americans asylum system, but this doesn't make any sense, as the proposal cannot and will not distinguish between immigrants who come to the US to "exploit" the asylum system and those who really are in need of protection. In most cases, asylum seekers spend all the money they have just to get to the US, so when they arrive, they do not have the necessary resources to keep providing for themselves and their family, and to pay the costs involved in the whole asylum process. Without being able to earn a penny until their case is finally resolved, most of these immigrants will find themselves in an untenable situation.