Raoul Opposes Federal Rule That May Cost Illinois Workers Their Jobs

CHICAGO — Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul joined 15 other attorneys general in opposing a federal interim rule that ends the automatic 540 day extension of work authorization for eligible immigrants who file timely renewal applications, a change that could cause gaps in employment approval and put up to 100,000 Illinois workers at risk. The coalition argued the Department of Homeland Security’s decision will worsen existing processing backlogs, threaten workers’ ability to keep their jobs, reduce tax revenue, increase state costs, and create economic instability while offering no evidence to support its stated security concerns, and said the rule violated federal law by taking effect without public comment.