# The ASPIRE Act: What It Does

The ASPIRE Act would make it faster for people seeking asylum in the United States to get permission to work while their cases are being decided. Currently, asylum applicants have to wait a long time—sometimes over a year—before they can legally get a job. This bill would cut that waiting period down to just 30 days after they file their asylum application. Once someone gets this work authorization, they can keep working until their asylum case is finally decided, even if that takes years.

The practical effect is straightforward: people waiting for asylum decisions wouldn't have to sit idle without income. Instead of relying entirely on government assistance or charity, they could support themselves and their families by working. This applies to most asylum seekers, with the only exception being those whose applications are deemed "frivolous" from the start—meaning they have no legitimate basis for seeking asylum.

To make this work, the bill also dedicates significant funding to handle the increased workload. It would provide $2 billion to hire more asylum officers and support staff at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to process cases faster, with at least 75 percent of that money going directly to hiring new personnel. Additionally, the bill allocates $10 billion to help states, local governments, and nonprofits provide shelter, food, transportation, and other services to migrants. Essentially, the government would be investing in both speeding up the asylum process and supporting migrants while they wait for their cases to be resolved.

ASPIRE Act

Torres, Ritchie

Assisting Seekers in Pursuit of Integration and Rapid Employment Act or the ASPIRE Act This bill addresses issues related to asylum applicants and migrants, including by directing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to provide employment authorization for eligible asylum applicants. Currently, asylum applicants are not entitled to employment authorization but may be granted such by the Department of Justice. Such employment authorization is valid until the applicant receives a final denial of the application, including any administrative and judicial review. The bill also shortens the waiting period for receiving employment authorization to 30 days from the filing of the asylum application. In addition, the bill authorizes U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to take actions to address the asylum backlog, including by hiring additional asylum officers. The bill also authorizes DHS to provide funding to state and local governments and nonprofit organizations for support services for migrants (e.g., food and shelter).