Congressman Maxwell Frost Introduces Work Permit Reform Act to Help Keep Migrants on Job
Orlando Congressman Maxwell Frost announced a new bill, the Work Permit Reform Act, to help migrants and improve and streamline renewing work permits. U.S. Representative Maxwell Alejandro Frost recently joined local community leaders and Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders to announce the new bill, which they said is legislation that would improve and streamline the process of renewing work permits for migrants.
The Central Florida Democrat said the legislation will help migrants stay on the job and support their families while contributing to their communities and paying taxes.
Rep. Frost's bill comes as Florida, which leads the country in TPS holders with nearly 300,000 recipients living in the Sunshine State, is home to more than a third of the total number of TPS holders in the nation.
Right now, TPS holders, migrants who have fled unsafe conditions in their home countries and are legally and temporarily residing in the U.S., must separately apply for an Employment Authorization Document or a work permit to be able to work, earn a living, and pay taxes. Much like TPS, work permits are temporary and must be renewed after a certain period.
For migrants, the disconnected processes of securing TPS and a work permit can cause stress and panic for TPS holders waiting to hear if their temporary legal status will be extended or redesignated. They could lose their jobs, income, and more when permit renewals are stalled due to the ambiguous future of a TPS extension or chronically slow processing times.
