By Mary Rooke, Daily Caller News Foundation | July 16, 2025
House Republicans are joining Democrats to introduce legislation they believe will “finally fix America’s immigration system.”
Republicans love to scream “BIPARTISAN” the moment they are trying to push a policy or bill that is antithetical to voters’ wishes, like Florida Rep. Maria Salazar did when she announced the DIGNITY Act. In big, bold, and all-caps letters, her press release states: “Rep. Salazar Introduces Historic Bipartisan DIGNITY Act to Finally Fix America’s Broken Immigration System.”
Salazar claims the bill is a “revolutionary” solution to illegal immigration, promising there is “No amnesty. No handouts. No citizenship. Just accountability and a path to stability for our economy and our future.”
Twenty representatives signed onto the DIGNITY Act:
Republicans (10): Florida Rep. Salazar, New York Rep. Mike Lawler, California Rep. David Valadao, Washington Rep. Dan Newhouse, Pennsylvania Rep. Mike Kelly, Pennsylvania Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, Colorado Rep. Gabe Evans, Indiana Rep. Marlin Stutzman, Nebraska Rep. Don Bacon, and California Rep. Young Kim.
Democrats (10): Texas Rep. Veronica Escobar, New York Rep. Adriano Espaillat, Michigan Rep. Hillary Scholten, Nevada Rep. Susie Lee, California Rep. Adam Gray, California Rep. Salud Carbajal, California Rep. Mike Levin, Illinois Rep. Nikki Budzinski, New York Rep. Laura Gillen and Massachusetts Rep. Jake Auchincloss.
With this much support, it could be easy to believe their bill might actually help solve the immigration crisis. But despite her promises that the DIGNITY ACT is not amnesty, that’s exactly what she is promising for millions of illegal immigrants. In fact, in her press release, she admits she’s granting citizenship to certain illegal immigrants.
Under the top seven provisions she listed in her announcement, two of them explicitly state that illegal immigrants will be given a path to legal residency in the U.S despite breaking immigration laws to enter our country.
The “Dream Act” provision grants legal status to illegal immigrants and provides them with a path to permanent residency. To be eligible, they only have to have been in the U.S. since Jan. 1, 2021, which would open amnesty up for tens of millions of illegal immigrants who came in before the Biden administration. Additionally, they had to be 18 or younger when they entered the U.S., pass a background check, graduate from high school, obtain a GED, or be admitted/enrolled in secondary school and pay an application fee not exceeding $1,140.
The “Dignity Program” establishes a seven-year pathway for illegal immigrants who have been physically present in the U.S. continuously since Dec. 31, 2020, to obtain temporary legal status, work authorization and protection from deportation.
Similar to the Dreamers, this group must pass a background check and pay a fine. They are required to pay $1,000 to support American workers and additional restitution payments totaling $7,000 over the seven years, paid during every two-year check-in. The Dignity program exempts this group of illegal immigrants from FICA taxes. Still, it charges them a separate one percent levy on their adjusted gross income to fund border infrastructure and reduce the national debt.
If you are wondering how their money will support the “American worker,” it’s through non-profits, apparently. None of this money will go directly to Americans who have to compete against foreign labor. Instead, the payments would be deposited into the American Worker Fund, a newly established account created through this bill, which would allocate the money as grants to states, nonprofit organizations, community colleges and other entities focused on workforce development.
Also, despite both provisions claiming that illegal immigrants are only eligible if they pass a background check to rule out criminal and gang activity, the bill actively bars law enforcement from using state and federal gang databases as a reference.
“EVIDENTIARY LIMITATION.—For purposes of subparagraph (D), allegations of gang membership obtained from a State or Federal in-house or local database, or a network of databases used for the purpose of recording and sharing activities of alleged gang members across law enforcement agencies, shall not establish the participation described in such paragraph,” the bill states.
So not only are Salazar and the rest of the 19 representatives giving amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants, but they are also setting up yet another funding program. Also noticeably missing from this bill is any requirement that illegal immigrants learn to speak English or have knowledge of our nation’s history or customs.
Our elected officials believe that if they tell the voters their legislation was developed through bipartisanship, we will blindly accept their political switcharoo. But what they clearly do not understand is the American people are exhausted by their antics.
Voters do not want amnesty. They voted for mass deportations and a truly fixed immigration system. This is an establishment wishlist of what appears to be slush funds and amnesty.
Mary Rooke is a commentary and analysis writer at the Daily Caller News Foundation
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