Washington, 5 December 2025 (dpa/MIA) - The Trump administration on Thursday announced it would tighten its immigration policies, cutting the work permit period for refugees, asylum seekers and other migrants in the United States from five years to 18 months.

The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said the change will allow more frequent checks on foreign nationals.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the adjustment affects hundreds of thousands of people and also impacts companies that rely on asylum seekers with work permits, including meatpacking firms.

Immigration has been a central focus of US President Donald Trump's administration. According to the Department of Homeland Security, nearly 2 million people have left the US since Trump took office in January, including 530,000 deportations and 1.6 million people who "voluntarily self-deported."

The administration has said it aims to increase deportations to 600,000 by the end of the year. The White House described the departures as part of ongoing "mass deportations."

In many cities, often governed by Democrats, federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers have been targeting alleged criminal immigrants. The Washington Post reported that in the capital city of Washington, 80% of those arrested had no prior convictions.

On August 11, Trump declared a public safety emergency in Washington, claiming the city had been overrun by "violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals." Since then, ICE teams have arrested roughly 1,100 people in the capital.