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Howard County joins lawsuit against Homeland Security rule denying asylum seekers right to work
Listen to this articleHoward County is joining an amicus brief, filed by the State of New York, in support of the CASA complaint against the Trump Administration’s rule to delay applicants for asylum from getting authorization to work while their application is processed.
This new rule would delay for up to one year or eliminate work authorization for thousands of asylum seekers. The complaint notes that without a system of federal assistance for asylum seekers, work authorization and employment has been the primary means for asylum seekers to meet their basic and legal needs while pursuing their claims.
It also places a significant burden on asylum seekers, and on local jurisdictions who will need to provide social resources and services for residents who are unable to work. Denying asylum seekers the right to work may also push immigrants into underground jobs that are unsafe.
Howard County, like many other states and local jurisdictions, benefits from immigrants being able to work. Asylum seekers provide an increased tax base and contribute to the local economy. In total, immigrant-led households paid $150 billion in state and local taxes and exercised $1.2 trillion in spending power nationwide in 2018.
