The Trump administration has tightened its immigration rules again. On Thursday, US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced sharp cuts in the duration of work permits for refugees, asylum seekers, and others. The maximum length of Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) will drop from five years to just 18 months for groups including refugees, people granted asylum, those with withholding of removal, and applicants waiting for asylum, adjustment of status, or humanitarian relief. This change applies to applications filed or pending on or after December 5, 2025. USCIS said this move will increase the frequency of vetting and screening non-citizens seeking work permission. USCIS Director Joseph Edlow said, "Reducing the maximum validity period for employment authorization will ensure that those seeking to work in the United States do not threaten public safety or promote harmful anti-American ideologies." He referred to a recent attack on National Guard members by an alien admitted under the previous administration. Edlow stressed, "After the attack on National Guard service members in our nation’s capital by an alien who was admitted into this country by the previous administration, it’s even more clear that USCIS must conduct frequent vetting of aliens." Additionally, changes from the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," signed on July 4, 2025, limit work authorization for immigrants paroled as refugees, TPS holders, other parolees, and spouses of entrepreneur parole recipients to one year or less. This depends on the end date of their parole or Temporary Protected Status. These limits began applying to permit applications filed or pending from July 22, 2025, following USCIS's Federal Register notice. These new rules mark a significant shift toward a more restrictive US immigration policy focusing on safety and tighter checks.