Rep. Jenniffer González-Colón joins Salazar and Escobar in Introducing Bipartisan Dignity Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, a bipartisan group of representatives led by Reps. María Elvira Salazar (R-FL) and Veronica Escobar (D-TX) introduced an updated version of the Dignity Act to fix our nation’s broken immigration system. This historic bill is the first serious bipartisan immigration solution proposed by Congress in over a decade.

Original cosponsors include Reps. Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon (R-PR), Hillary Scholten (D-MI), Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-OR), Kathy Manning (D-NC), and Mike Lawler (R-NY).

The bill consists of four core principles: (1) stopping illegal immigration; (2) providing a dignified solution for undocumented immigrants living in America; (3) strengthening the American workforce and economy; and (4) ensuring the United States remain prosperous and competitive in the future.

The Dignity Act is based on the biblical principles of Dignity and Redemption. It will restore law and order to our immigration system and support American workers. It was written in consultation with American businesses leaders, agriculture and farming industries, the faith-based community, immigration reform groups, and border security experts.

“Our broken immigration system is frustrating Americans, causing people to suffer, and fracturing our country — economically, morally, socially, and politically. A solution is long overdue,” said Rep. Salazar. “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.”

“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. “I have seen the toll our broken immigration system has on federal personnel, local representatives, nonprofits, and the migrants themselves, and the need for a realistic, common-sense compromise could not be more urgent. These challenging times call for both compassion and action, and the Dignity Act of 2023 offers a bipartisan, meaningful approach that restores dignity to people who have tried to navigate a broken system for far too long. With the introduction of this legislation that Representative 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 Dignidad or Dignity Act we are introducing today takes into account the contribution of immigrants - including Dreamers - to our country by granting them legal protections to remain in the United States if they meet certain conditions,” said Rep. González-Colón. “Our nation is a nation of immigrants; it always has been. But we cannot ignore the fact that illegal immigration is at an all-time high, and that Congress hasn’t passed any significant legislation to address it since the Immigration and Reform Control Act in 1986, when just under 3 million people obtained legal status. I commend my dear friend, Rep. María Elvira Salazar, for her commitment and work towards finding a commonsense solution to immigration.”

“As an attorney who has worked on immigration issues, both at the nation’s top law enforcement agency and at a community legal aid organization, helping migrants in West Michigan, I know this system,” said Rep. Scholten. “I’ve seen firsthand what patchwork and reactionary immigration policies do to families and communities. Our broken immigration system is a national security threat, an economic and workforce emergency, and a humanitarian crisis. This is Congress’ issue to solve, and we’re here to solve it. This bill is not perfect. But we cannot let the illusion of a perfect bill prevent us from doing what is good and necessary. This bill will make our communities and our country safer, it will bring our workforce into the 21st century, and will bring dignity to millions of hardworking families already living in the United States to make our country a better place.”

“We are a proud nation of immigrants, yet our current immigration system is outdated and broken. Unfortunately, we now also have a humanitarian and national security crisis occurring at our southern border due to insufficient border security policies. These problems reflect poorly on our country, and they put the lives of both migrants and American citizens at risk. It’s past time for Congress to act,” said Rep. Chavez-DeRemer. “The bipartisan Dignity Act is a comprehensive solution that would bolster border security while taking a compassionate approach to immigration reform – helping families stay together, supporting immigrants’ contributions to our workforce, and growing our economy by creating new opportunities in rapidly expanding industries. I’m proud to join Congresswoman Salazar on this historic legislation, and I look forward to working with her to get it signed into law.”

“America’s immigration system is broken; the time for policy change is now. As an immigration attorney, I’ve seen the flaws in America’s immigration system,” said Rep. Manning. “As Congresswoman, I’ve met with countless business leaders who have shared their concerns that our outdated system hinders their ability to attract and retain talent. I’m proud to join Representatives Salazar and Escobar to introduce the bipartisan Dignity Act, a historic immigration reform bill that will address the country’s workforce needs and strengthen our economy, provide pathways to citizenship for DREAMers and asylum seekers, and secure the border. When passed, this once-in-a-generation legislation will provide the first meaningful immigration reform our nation has seen in decades.”

“As the husband of an immigrant who recently became a citizen, I’ve seen firsthand just how broken our immigration system is,” said Rep. Lawler. “Both parties have failed to fix the problem for decades and it is going to take both parties working together to solve this. The Dignity Act is a commonsense, bipartisan measure that secures our porous border, creates a process for those already here to pay restitution and integrate into American society, and fixes our legal immigration system so that people who want to come here can do so and can contribute to our society, our economy, and our culture as immigrants have and always will.”

In March 2021, Rep. Salazar announced her vision for immigration reform in the Dignity Plan. Less than a year later, she introduced the first version of her Dignity Act. After consulting with members of both parties and a diverse group of interested stakeholders, Reps. Salazar and Escobar teamed up to introduce a new, better, and bipartisan version of the Dignity Act.

Specifically, the new bill secures the border once and for all, fixes our broken asylum system, strengthens support for border communities, and stops the humanitarian crisis we are currently facing.

To address those currently in the United States, the bill establishes a seven-year Dignity Program and an optional five-year Redemption Program. These programs provide eligible undocumented immigrants the opportunity to work and earn renewable legal status, conditional on good conduct and restitution payments made to the American taxpayer. While we are a nation of laws, we have also historically been a nation of second chances. This provides the undocumented living in the shadows a second chance to get right with the law.

Additionally, the bill solves critical labor shortages across industries. It addresses longstanding backlogs and inefficiencies in our legal immigration process, giving U.S. employers the ability to fill the millions of job vacancies that remain open. If the U.S. economy cannot grow and prosper, the American Dream could be out of reach for future generations.

The Dignity Act prioritizes American workers and our national security every step of the way, both through the establishment of the American Worker Fund to retrain American workers to meet the needs of a changing economy, and through the resources that are provided for border security and law enforcement to keep our communities safe. All of this will 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.

For a link to the full press conference, click here.

For a one-pager on the Dignity Act, click here.

For a more detailed summary of the Dignity Act, click here.

For a section-by-section breakdown of the Dignity Act, click here.

For the full text of the bill, click here.

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