The asylum seeker issue is now at the center of an urgent advocacy push after the U. S. government announced a proposed rule on Feb. 23, 2026, that would effectively shut down access to work permits. The Grand Canyon Synod of the ELCA is urging action before Friday, April 24, 2026, as public comments remain open. Advocates say the proposal would hit people seeking safety while leaving the underlying backlog unresolved.
What the proposal would change
The proposed rule would make it far harder for an asylum seeker to obtain work authorization, with the government’s own estimate saying it could take up to 173 years before new work permit applications are accepted again. The proposal would also make some renewals more difficult for people who already have work permits. In the ELCA alert, the rule is described as offering no plan to address the massive asylum backlog that created the delays in the first place.
The rule is not final. From now through Apr. 24, 2026, the government is accepting public comments on the proposal, and the alert says every unique, substantive comment must be read and addressed before the rule can move forward. That makes the current window the most immediate point of pressure for people opposing the change.
How advocates are responding
The Grand Canyon Synod of the ELCA says people can act in two ways: submit a public comment through a comment tool shared by Lutheran Advocacy Ministry Arizona and use an ELCA Action Center form to call on members of Congress to oppose the rule. The alert also encourages people to personalize their messages and speak out against implementation so that those seeking safety can retain the ability to meet their needs in their communities.
Named members of Arizona’s congressional delegation are listed in the alert as points of contact, including Sen. Mark Kelly, Sen. Ruben Gallego, Rep. David Schweikert, Rep. Eli Crane, Rep. Yassamin Ansari, Rep. Greg Stanton, Rep. Andy Biggs, Rep. Juan Ciscomani, Rep. Adelita Grijalva, and Rep. Abraham Hamadeh. The call to action is aimed at building pressure while the comment period remains open.
Why the timing matters
The debate over work authorization is tied directly to the ability of an asylum seeker to support basic needs while a case moves through a system already burdened by delay. The alert frames the proposed rule as a practical barrier as much as a policy change, because it would affect both new applications and some renewals.
That is why the next few days matter. The advocacy effort is focused on the April 24 deadline, when public comments close and the government will have to continue reviewing substantive objections before moving ahead. For now, the central question is whether enough pressure can be built in time to protect the work authorization pathway for the asylum seeker community.
