Join the UU Solidarity Initiative’s Work Permit Comment Campaign

UUSC is proud to collaborate with the UU Solidarity Initiative to provide resources and opportunities to build strong communities of solidarity with immigrant communities who are under attack.

The Trump administration is trying to make it impossible for asylum-seekers to live and work in the United States. Help send a unique, public comment today to stop this cruel and unjust rule from going into effect.

The Issue

On February 23, the Department of Homeland Security announced a proposed rule that would radically undermine the ability of future asylum-seekers to receive work permits in the United States.

Under federal law, people who establish a credible fear of persecution are eligible for asylum, but resolving these legal proceedings can take years. In the meantime, the law provides that applicants can receive permission to work. By trying to deny this life-saving work provision, the current administration is cruelly compounding the hardships of asylum-seekers and their families. This proposed rule would strand people in desperate poverty for years, or force them to work off the books in exploitative conditions, while they wait indefinitely for a judgment on their asylum case.

Why Your Voice Matters

We know that public comments are unlikely to stop this administration’s cruelty. The purpose of this comment campaign is to DELAY and FIGHT, and set conditions for future engagement. Because federal agencies are legally required to read and respond to every unique and substantive comment before finalizing a rule, the more comments that are submitted, the longer we can delay the implementation of this rule. Failure of the government to adequately address comments sets the ground for litigation. That’s why it’s crucial that we flood the Federal Register with informed, personalized comments about how this rule will harm our asylum seekers and our communities.

That’s why it’s crucial that we flood the Federal Register with informed, personalized comments about how this rule will harm our asylum seekers and our communities.

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Campaign Resources

The UU Solidarity Initiative invites you to join the national Work Permit Comment Campaign. Use the tools below to mobilize your community, congregation, or organization:

• Comment Guide – Read step-by-step instructions on how to make a comment and get more detailed prompts and templates for individuals, congregations, and organizations. 
• Coffee and Comment Toolkit – Join congregations around the country in running a comment drive at your congregation on Sundays after services! This toolkit has everything you need to run a successful campaign. Help us reach our national goal of 1000 comments submitted!
• Social Media Assets
  • Download graphics to promote the campaign online.
  • Download graphics template to create your own unique message
• Events: The Solidarity Initiative partners will be hosting a Comment Campaign action hour each week through the April 24 comment deadline. We hope you’ll join us at one or all of them!
  • Campaign Launch Action Hour on March 18 at 7:30pm ET/4:30pm PT hosted by UUSJ with a special guest from the Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project. Register here.
  • UUSC Resistance Network Action Hour on March 25 at 6:00pm ET/3:00 PT. Register here.
  • Solidarity Initiative Solidarity Session on April 3 at 2pm ET/11am PT. Register here.
  • Comment Campaign Action Hour hosted by TXUUJM on April 16 at 8:0pm ET/5:00pm PT Register here.
  • Earth Day Action Hour hosted by UUJusticeNC with special Farmworker union speaker on April 24 at 11am ET/8am PT. Register here.

How to Write Your Comment

If you want to go directly to making a comment, click the button below. When you are ready to start writing, focus on making your comment unique. The government groups identical “form letters” together as a single submission, so use your own words!

When you are ready to start writing, here are some basic points to cover: 

• The Human Impact: Discuss the reality of not being able to work or support yourself for an indefinite period. If you know asylum-seekers personally, talk about how work authorization has helped them survive. (Note: Current permit holders won’t be immediately affected, but future applicants and those seeking renewals will be.)
• The Purpose of Asylum: Emphasize that employment authorization is a vital necessity. If people cannot legally provide for themselves while they wait for permanent safety, it subverts the entire purpose for which Congress created the asylum process in the first place.
• The Economic Reality: Describe the impact this will have on American economic life. If you own a business, talk about losing potential employees. If you rely on human services, mention how a mass denial of work permits will exacerbate chronic labor shortages in frontline professions.
• Our Shared Values: Appeal to our highest ideals. People seeking refuge have the right to live in safety and dignity. Forcing people into the shadows hurts everyone by driving down wages and leaving our neighbors vulnerable to exploitation. Feel free to ground this in your personal faith or moral beliefs.
• For Inspiration: View UU Solidarity Initiative’s official press release and UUSC’s organization comment (please remember that you need to write your comment in your own words!)

SUBMIT YOUR COMMENT NOW

You submitted your comment — now spread the word. 

Don’t be afraid to activate your community for this important cause! The deadline is April 24, and we need as many unique, personalized comments as possible to delay this cruel rule and build the legal case against it.

Pick a post, share it on your preferred social media, and help us reach our goal of 1,000 comments!