ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Many migrants are back to work in Central Florida, following a government change to their Employment Authorization Documents (EAD) renewals. In early May, the federal government extended the period to 540 days from 180 for renewing those work permits, which got people like Genesis Escalona back on the job.

It’s meant the world to her, as she makes a living while attending school and caring for her 5-year-old special needs son, Jeremaih.

What You Need To Know

  • The federal government extended the renewal period from 180 to 540 days for Employment Authorization Documents

  • The move is said to help both migrants making a living, and employers trying to keep staff

  • Some 300,000-400,000 are estimated to be impacted by this, including one local refuge-seeker, Genesis Escalona

Foreign legal consultant Vicente Perez has clients who have faced hardship, forced out of jobs while awaiting their EAD renewals. Some people, like Escalona, spent two months unemployed — something that happened twice to her.

“(Migrants) need to feel comfortable," Perez said. "They need to feel that they are inserted into the system, the U.S. system — the American system. With these (previous policies), they didn’t."

Officials with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) blame the long waits for asylum status partly on a backlog brought on by staffing shortages caused by the pandemic.

“I do my taxes. I consider myself, you know, a good resident," Escalona said with exasperation. "I don’t get in trouble, never. I was like what is happening?”

USCIS officials say some issues have been fixed and they’re working to get things flowing smoothly during the temporary EAD extension.

Escalona survived the gap in work most recently, on her tax return. She’s also grateful to her family for whatever help they can provide.

Her son, Jeremaih, goes to school at a special clinic while she attends technical college to become a medical assistant. All of this goes on, in addition to her job at the Orlando outlet shops.

“I’m going to call it a sacrifice," Escalona said. "It will be a benefit for me and my family."

Meanwhile, Perez is hoping for more of a permanent solution than the temporary extension on EADs.

“What the officers told us when we talked to them is that they have a shortage of employees right now due to the pandemic, due to that kind of stuff happening," he said. "The solution is trying to get more people."