US Ends 540-Day Extension for Immigrants; Orgs say FBI Report Flawed

October

2026

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is ending a former US President Joe Biden-era policy that allowed many immigrants to continue working for up to 540 days after their employment authorization expired while their renewal applications were pending. The extension window was designed to ensure immigrant workers were not pushed out of jobs because of processing delays at US Citizenship and Immigration Services. The policy affects immigrants, including Panjabis, who rely on Employment Authorization Documents, as well as asylum seekers, and spouses of H-1B visa holders on H-4 visas. Meanwhile, the US President Donald Trump's waiver of Russian sanctions eases energy concerns for India, one of the top importers of Russian oil. President Trump's waiver of Russian sanctions eases energy concerns for India. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who arrived in India on 20 Oct, said trade talks with New Delhi are underway, 'We are trying to finalize a trade deal with India right now and we are very close to doing that. That's one of the things we take into consideration when the President makes a decision about national security waivers.' Indian Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said the first tranche of the proposed India-US trade agreement had been finalized and was currently undergoing legal drafting. However, the trade deal has also been held back because Washington has yet to complete a Section 301 trade investigation into several nations, including India, over alleged ⁠excess manufacturing capacity. There is no word on it yet. Furthermore, three dozen organizations—including the Sikh Coalition, the Muslim Public Affairs Council, Jewish Council for Public Affairs, and the Union for Reform Judaism—pointed at the flawed methodology of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) 2026 Hate Crimes report. The FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting report, released in August, indicates the number of hate crimes reported to the agency dropped by 7% between 2024–25. At the same time, Sacramento, California police have arrested Gurinder Gill for allegedly killing his wife, Jasmine Gill. Gurinder had earlier claimed Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents had taken Jasmine into custody. Additionally, in London, UK, 24-year-old Deepak Sandhu, who stabbed his 39-year-old girlfriend to death after she ended their relationship, has been sentenced to life with a minimum term of 28 years in prison (earlier coverage).