Florida Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R) and Texas Rep. Veronica Escobar (D) have introduced an updated version of the Dignity Act. With the update, the lawmakers are looking to address immigration concerns.
Original cosponsors of the bill span lawmakers from across the United States, and there are “four core principles” that are outlined in the bill. The principles are 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 that the United States remains prosperous and competitive in the future.
Both lawmakers issued statements after introducing the legislation, which is billed as “the first serious bipartisan immigration solution proposed by Congress in over a decade.”
“Our broken immigration system is frustrating Americans, causing people to suffer, and fracturing our country – economically, morally, socially, and politically,” Salazar warned, calling this a solution that is “long overdue.”
“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,” Salazar further expressed.
The bill comes after Title 42 has come to an end, which lawmakers argue will have significant repercussions on the country. Though there was a bipartisan effort to extend Title 42, it was unsuccessful.
Rep. Escobar also shared comments related to the immigration effort, saying that “decades of congressional inaction on immigration law has real consequences, and the humanitarian crisis unfolding before our eyes requires a bipartisan solution.”
“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,” Escobar warned, adding that the legislation “offers a bipartisan, meaningful approach that restores dignity to people who have tried to navigate a broken system for far too long.”
