Reps. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL) and Veronica Escobar (D-TX) have introduced an immigration reform bill that would provide a path to legal status for illegal immigrants who have resided in the US since before 2021.
This development comes amid the Trump administration’s mass deportation efforts. The Dignity Act of 2025 is a bipartisan piece of immigration reform legislation seeking to secure the southern border while allowing illegal immigrants who have been in the country for at least four years to have a pathway to legal status — but not citizenship.
The Dignity Act would dedicate significant resources to bolster security at the southern border. The measure “Requires DHS to deploy physical barriers, tactical infrastructure, and the most up-to-date technology along the border to achieve situational awareness and operational advantage,” according to an analysis document.
The bill would also ensure that “Air and Marine Operations carry out no fewer than 95,000 annual flight hours and operate unmanned aerial systems on the border.”
The Dignity Act would also mandate that employers use E-Verify to ensure they are not hiring illegal immigrants.“Employers must attest with their signature that a prospective employee has provided the proper paperwork and has been run through the E-Verify system,” the document reads.
The measure would create a seven-year “Dignity Program” that would offer legal status and work authorization. It would prohibit these individuals from receiving federal benefits or a pathway to citizenship. “Dignity participants will pay $7,000 in restitution during the 7 years of the program,” the document explains.
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Under the proposed legislation, these restitution payments would be used to provide job training and apprenticeships for American citizens who have suffered the impact of having to compete with illegal immigrants. “This money will go to workforce education initiatives to help U.S. citizens looking for work or transitioning to different careers,” the document reads.
The process for pursuing asylum claims would be acclerated under the bill. “They will provide an initial screening within 15 days, and final determination of asylum eligibility for most asylum seekers within 60 days. Individuals with complex or uncertain cases will be referred to an Immigration Judge… and be tracked and monitored until their court date,” the document reads.
The Trump administration has been looking at ways to protect certain migrant workers — especially on farms. The Department of Labor is considering making it easier for migrant workers to work in the United States according to NBC News.
The bill has already met with criticisms from hardline Republicans who refer to it as “amnesty.
The "Dignity Act" is mass amnesty, this will be disastrous for our country if passed, and a total betrayal of the will of the people in the 2024 election.
— Rep. Lukas Schubert (@LukasSchubertMT) July 16, 2025
No Republican should support this, yet here are 10 that are: https://t.co/OMf5RpCkw7 pic.twitter.com/O1ebPN2vuH
There is a bipartisan bill in congress called Dignity Act to give illegals a path to legal status. How about the dignity of the legal immigrants who have been waiting for years to be processed? Not fair & not justice. We have heard the same stories before. pic.twitter.com/rsopC2GxYZ
— Lily Tang Williams (@Lily4Liberty) July 16, 2025
Editor’s Note: Thanks to President Trump, illegal immigration into our great country has virtually stopped. Despite the radical left's lies, new legislation wasn't needed to secure our border, just a new president.
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