Overview

• More than 40 mayors, including those from New York City and Chicago, request a permanent extension of work permits for migrants to avoid economic disruption.
• The request follows the expiration of a USCIS rule extending work permit renewals to 540 days, which reverted to 180 days in October.
• Officials warn that without extensions, hundreds of thousands could lose their jobs, exacerbating local labor shortages and shelter crises.
• Mayors emphasize the critical role of migrant workers in local economies and the potential destabilizing effects of large-scale job losses.
• USCIS has reduced overall backlogs for the first time in over a decade, but mayors argue more action is needed to address the work permit renewal backlog.