Jessica Vaughan, Center for Immigration Studies, February 2, 2015

The Center for Immigration Studies reports that a shadow immigrant work authorization system, outside the limits set by Congress, has been issuing work permits at an astounding rate. Records received from USCIS through a Freedom of Information Request reveal that from 2009 to 2014, the agency issued 5,461,568 new work permits to aliens. These are issued in addition to the approximately 1.1 million new legal immigrants and the 700,000 new guest workers admitted each year.

“I was astonished at the huge number of work permits that are being issued by the Obama administration outside the legal immigration system through executive discretion, especially at a time of high unemployment and stagnant wages. Besides the effect on the American worker, it encourages and rewards more illegal immigration,” stated Jessica Vaughan, the Center’s Director of Policy Studies.

This week the U.S. Senate is set to vote on a DHS funding bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives that would withhold funds for USCIS to implement President Obama’s executive amnesty plans, which include the issuance of perhaps as many as five million more work permits.

View the entire report here.

The report shows a detailed breakdown of those issued work permits during this time period. Three groups receiving employment authorization include: