Comment Submitted by Samantha Herbst

I am writing to oppose the proposed rule, “Clarification of Discretionary Employment Authorization for Certain Aliens,” ( DHS Docket No. USCIS-2026-0067), because of the significant harm it would cause to my community, my neighbors, and myself. As someone who lives in a city of immigrants, I want to see my neighbors able to support themselves, as this allows them to have dignity, provide security for their families, and reduce the burden on our social services. It is a win for these individuals, our neighborhoods, and our economy. While I am concerned about the impact of this rule for multiple vulnerable populations, I am especially concerned about how it impacts individuals with humanitarian parole. This includes Ukrainians and Afghans who fled conflict to find safety here. Forcing these families to navigate complex "financial need" paperwork just to get a basic job is an unnecessary hurdle. Additionally, restricting employment renewals to employers who use E-Verify will greatly harm newcomers and the communities they live in, like mine. Many small businesses, local farms, and neighborhood shops facing labor shortages step up to offer newcomers their first jobs. My neighborhood has multiple small businesses. Why create this extra burden on them when we should be encouraging small business growth? This rule would ban individuals with humanitarian parole from working for those local employers, cutting them off from the community and hurting our local economy. Additionally, forcing people to renew their permits every single year guarantees that families will face job losses due to bureaucratic delays. I urge DHS to withdraw this proposal and allow individuals with humanitarian parole to continue supporting their family and community. Thank you.