Miami Republican Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar and Texas Democratic Congresswoman Veronica Escobar have teamed up to introduce a "revolutionary immigration reform bill" that they say would further secure the border and allow undocumented immigrants in the country prior to 2021 to become legal U.S. residents.
The two lawmakers held a news conference Tuesday at the U.S. Capitol in Washington to talk about their proposal — The Dignity Act of 2025.
They were joined by more than a dozen other lawmakers and boisterous supporters carrying #DignityAct.
"The Dignity Act of 2025 is a revolutionary bill that offers the solution to our immigration crisis: secure the border, stop illegal immigration and provide an earned opportunity for long-term immigrants to stay here and work," said Salazar. "No amnesty. No handouts. No citizenship. Just accountability and a path to stability for our economy and our future.”
Addressing President Donald Trump directly at the press conference, Salazar said, "I believe that you can be for immigration what Lincoln was for slavery and Reagan was for communism" in urging him to fix the "40-year [immigration system] mess."
“Yes, they broke the law,” said Salazar, “but someone gave them a job because they needed those workers — workers still needed today.”
U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, said the proposed legislation represents "a critical first step to overhauling this broken system."
Salazar introduced a similar bill, The Dignity Act of 2023, in Congress two years ago but it never made it to the House floor for a vote.
In this latest version, say the two lawmakers, the legislation will be fully funded with "restitution payments and application fees made by immigrants" and not cost U.S. taxpayers a dime.
READ MORE: Immigration judges are being fired despite backlog of immigration cases
Among the bill's key provisions is a program that would allow undocumented immigrants to continue to live and work in the U.S. with a renewable visa "based on good conduct and restitution" for seven years at a time.
Another would allow so-called "Dreamers," young people brought illegally into the country by their parents to gain "a path to permanent residency."
Challenging fight to pass Dignity Act
These two provisions, which critics may view as "amnesty" for those immigrants here illegally, face a challenge in the Republican-majority Congress and with the White House.
The Trump administration has been aggressively seeking to deport millions of undocumented immigrants. And it has ended Biden-era programs that granted temporary visas to hundreds of thousands of other immigrants.
The administration is terminating Temporary Protected Status for up to 1 million legal immigrants, including Haitians, Venezuelans, Hondurans and Nicaraguans. It also revoked temporary visas for more than 500,000 Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans granted under the previous Biden Administration's humanitarian parole program.
Other legislation provisions related to border security include mandatory E-Verify, an online Department of Homeland Security system launched in the late 1990s. It can quickly confirm if someone is authorized to work in the U.S., often by using Social Security numbers.
The legislation also addresses an end to releasing migrants in the U.S. while they await immigration court hearings, a practice known as “catch-and-release.” The Trump administration has already imposed such a policy earlier this year. One provision, "workforce development," would expand training, apprenticeships and education for U.S. workers.
The two lawmakers also propose reforming legal immigration by updating visa categories "to align with 21st-century economic needs."
The lawmakers say the Dignity Act is "a tough but fair approach" to securing the border and giving a chance for undocumented immigrants "who have built their lives here to come out of the shadows with dignity."
"For decades, millions have lived and worked in the shadows — harvesting our crops, building our homes and contributing to our economy," they said. "The system is collapsing before our eyes. Congress can no longer look the other way. This is the moment to act."
Salazar’s so-called ‘Dignity Act’ is more political theater than true immigration reform. In her own words, there’s ‘no path to citizenship’ — just more broken promises for families who have lived, worked, and contributed to our communities for decades. And while my opponent… pic.twitter.com/FGmB9B5HCx
— Richard Lamondin (@rlamondinjr) July 15, 2025
'More political theater'
Richard Lamondin, who is running for the Democratic nomination to run against Salazar in November, said her bill is “more political theater than true immigration reform.”
Noting Salazar has twice introduced a similar bill that’s failed in Congress, Lamondin said Salazar “has proven herself to be an ineffective, insincere representative for communities that desperately need an advocate.”
“We need comprehensive immigration reform that honors our values, strengthens our economy, and includes a real path to citizenship,” Lamondin said in a statement. “And we need leaders who understand the stakes and deliver results — not more political stunts that trade dignity for headlines.”
Last month, Salazar called out Trump for not using legal due process when arresting undocumented migrants — and reminded Trump of his campaign pledge to focus deportations on criminal migrants.
U.S. Rep. María Elvira Salazar released online links to the bill text and summary.
Read a one-page summary of Dignity Act of 2025 here.
Read a detailed summary of the Dignity Act of 2025 here.
Read the full text of the bill of the Dignity Act of 2025 here.
