U.S. Rep. María Elvira Salazar (R-FL) on Tuesday led a bipartisan group of lawmakers in introducing legislation that they say would stop illegal immigration.
“Our broken immigration system is frustrating Americans, causing people to suffer, and fracturing our country — economically, morally, socially, and politically,” Rep. Salazar said. “A solution is long overdue.”
The bipartisan Dignity for Immigrants while Guarding our Nation to Ignite and Deliver the American Dream Act of 2023, also known as the DIGNIDAD (Dignity) Act of 2023, H.R. 3599, also would provide “a dignified solution” for undocumented immigrants living in America; bolster the U.S. workforce and economy; and ensure the nation remains prosperous and competitive in the future, according to a bill summary provided by Rep. Salazar’s staff.
The congresswoman on May 23 sponsored H.R. 3599 alongside seven colleagues, including U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-TX), and says the bill was written in consultation with American business leaders, agriculture and farming industries, the faith-based community, immigration reform groups, and border security experts.
“I am proud to introduce the new and improved, bipartisan Dignity Act. This bill gives dignity to the border agents who need support, the job creators who need employees, the American people who need secure borders, and those who currently live in the shadows,” said Rep. Salazar.
H.R. 3599 would establish a seven-year Dignity Program and an optional five-year Redemption Program to provide eligible undocumented immigrants with the opportunity to work and earn renewable legal status that would be conditional on good conduct and restitution payments made to the American taxpayer, states the summary.
Additionally, the bill would address long-standing backlogs and inefficiencies in the legal immigration process by giving U.S. employers the ability to fill job vacancies that remain open.
“Decades of congressional inaction on immigration law has real consequences, and the humanitarian crisis unfolding before our eyes requires a bipartisan solution,” said Rep. Escobar. “With the introduction of this legislation that Rep. Salazar and I have been working on since December 2022, it is our hope that Congress seizes the opportunity to solve the immigration challenges of today and tomorrow.”
The measure also would establish the American Worker Fund to retrain American workers to meet the needs of a changing economy, and provide resources for border security and law enforcement. These funds would be fully funded through fees on immigrants and restitution payments made by participants in the Dignity and Redemption programs, at no expense to the American taxpayer, the summary says.