Reps. María Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.) and Verónica Escobar (D-Texas), along with 18 other bipartisan lawmakers, introduced a new version of the Dignity Act immigration reform bill on July 15, which seeks to grant protected status to some illegal immigrant workers.
“It takes a lot of courage to step up and say that you want to be part of the solution, especially on the issue of immigration, one of the toughest in the country,” Salazar
said at a press conference on July 15 in the House Triangle of the U.S. Capitol in Washington.
“Today begins the path to giving dignity to the millions who live in darkness!” she
wrote on X on June 15 before introducing the bill.
The Dignity Act of 2025 seeks to address immigration issues after securing the border, allowing certain illegal immigrants to apply for legal status if they meet specific criteria and expedite the asylum application process. It replaces the one
introduced in 2023.
“After more than two years of negotiation, there is an updated compromise that addresses legal status and protections for undocumented immigrants, border security, asylum reform, and visa reform,” Escobar said in
a statement.
The bill proposes the Dignity Program, valid for seven years, which would offer legal status—not citizenship—to illegal immigrants who have been in the United States since before Dec. 31, 2020, if they pay $7,000 in restitution, remain in legal compliance, and do not receive federal benefits, allowing them to work, obtain legal status, and be in good standing with the law.
“That means they'll pay a $7,000 fine over seven years, using their own health insurance, without access to any federal programs, and will contribute 1% of their salary to the U.S. Treasury,” Salazar said.
Additionally, the law includes protections for Dreamers who meet educational, work, or military service standards; a modernization and streamlining of the legal immigration system to reduce backlogs in green card applications and create new temporary visa options for families and students; and the establishment of a $70 billion investment in the American workforce, among other initiatives.
“We still have more than 10 million people working in construction, hospitality, agriculture, dairy, fishing, and slaughterhouses, who are undocumented, but they are not criminals,” Salazar said. “Yes, they broke the law, but someone gave them a job because they needed those workers, workers who are still needed today.”
Escobar said that after two years of negotiations among the lawmakers supporting the bill, an agreement was reached that she said adapts to the “current political environment.”
“I have seen firsthand the devastating consequences of our broken immigration system, and as a member of Congress, I take seriously my obligation to propose a solution. Realistic, common-sense compromise is achievable, and is especially important given the urgency of this moment,” Escobar
said in a statement.
“Immigrants—especially those who have been in the United States for decades—make up a critical component of our communities and also of the American workforce and economy.”
White House border czar Tom Homan on July 16
said officials from the Department of Agriculture, the Labor Department, and Homeland Security are evaluating policies related to illegal immigrant workers in certain industries, such as agriculture and hospitality, but no details were provided.
“The president committed there will be no amnesty, but there are a lot of smart minds at the White House talking about is there something for farm workers, is there something for hospitality,” he said.
“My job is to operate within the framework provided me by the administration. So, if the president comes up with a policy, and says, ‘OK, here’s what we’re going to do with farm workers,’ then ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] will abide by that policy.”
President Donald Trump
said in a July 8 Cabinet meeting that there would be no amnesty for farm workers who are illegal immigrants.
“There’s no amnesty,” Trump said. “What we’re doing is getting rid of criminals, but we are doing a work program.”
Jack Phillips contributed to this report.
