The largest denomination in the United States is Catholicism. With that comes a lot of sway.
And now the US Catholic Bishops hit Trump with a surprise that he wasn’t prepared for.
USCIS Policy Change on EAD Automatic Extensions
In October 2025, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) through U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued an interim final rule ending automatic extensions of Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) for most renewal applications filed on or after October 30, 2025. The rule reverses previous temporary and permanent increases (implemented in 2022-2024) that allowed up to 540-day extensions to prevent lapses amid processing delays.
Catholic Organizations’ Opposition
Prominent U.S. Catholic groups, including the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), Catholic Legal Immigration Network (CLINIC), and Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA), issued a December 1 statement urging USCIS to rescind the change, arguing it will “disproportionately harm immigrants and their families.”
“Given our organizations’ ministries to immigrants and refugees around the country, we are deeply concerned that the changes in the IFR will disproportionately harm immigrants and their families,” read the statement, co-signed by CLINIC and CCUSA.
“The IFR will guarantee widespread employment-authorization gaps; destabilize fragile households; generate severe backlogs and administrative burdens for affiliates; impede the functioning of state agencies, such as Departments of Motor Vehicles; and impose substantial costs on U.S. employers and local economies,” the groups said. “Most importantly, the IFR will produce these harms without any demonstrated countervailing benefit.”
The groups called the rule “arbitrary and capricious,” noting it departs from prior policy without sufficient justification and “conflicts with fundamental humanitarian and economic principles embodied in U.S. immigration law.”
They highlighted that it eliminates “the only mechanism that has prevented widespread work-authorization lapses,” even as past extensions proved insufficient in some cases, leading to lost wages and benefits.
“Even temporary extensions were barely sufficient to stabilize families living on the economic margin,” the statement said.
“By removing the only buffer against its own delays, the agency converts an administrative backlog into a nationwide work-authorization crisis that will destabilize workers, families, and employers across the country.”
The organizations also warned of increased exploitation risks, as workers facing lapses “may find themselves in precarious situations where unscrupulous or predatory persons might exploit their desperate need to support themselves and their families.” They anticipate higher demand for charitable services like those from Catholic Charities.
DHS Rationale and Broader Context
DHS justifies the change as enhancing national security by ensuring more frequent and complete vetting before extending work authorization. The agency states that automatic extensions previously allowed employment without full eligibility checks, background screening, or discretion exercises where required. Ending them prioritizes detecting fraud or security risks.
The rule does not affect extensions already granted before October 30, 2025, or certain statutory exceptions (e.g., TPS-related). USCIS recommends filing renewals up to 180 days early to minimize gaps.
Critics, including immigration advocates and some employers, argue the abrupt shift could disrupt workers and businesses, while supporters view it as strengthening immigration enforcement. DHS did not immediately respond to earlier requests for comment on the Catholic groups’ statement.
