The Equal Protection for American Workers Act would prohibit the Department of Homeland Security from issuing work permits to any foreign national who has been found through a valid immigration proceeding to have been unlawfully present in the United States at any point. The bill would apply to all such individuals, regardless of when their unlawful presence occurred, and would take effect immediately upon enactment. This legislation is intended to prevent unauthorized immigrants from obtaining legal employment authorization, even if they might otherwise qualify for such permits through other immigration processes. The bill contains no specific funding provisions or detailed implementation timelines beyond its effective date, leaving enforcement details to the Department of Homeland Security to determine.