Bipartisan lawmakers reup immigration bill amid Trump deportation crackdown [View all]

Source: CBS News

Updated on: July 15, 2025 / 7:01 PM EDT


Washington – A bipartisan group of lawmakers on Tuesday reintroduced a comprehensive bill to reform the immigration system and create a potential pathway to legal status for long-term undocumented immigrants. Reps. Maria Elvira Salazar, Republican of Florida, and Veronica Escobar, Democrat of Texas, announced the legislation, known as the DIGNITY Act, at a press conference alongside more than a dozen co-sponsors.

"We have 10 million people or more working in construction, hospitality, agriculture, dairy, fisheries, slaughterhouses who are undocumented but are not criminals," Salazar told reporters. "No more need to choose between amnesty or deportation. The Dignity bill is the answer!"

The measure would establish a "Dignity Program" to grant legal status, including work and travel authority, to undocumented immigrants who have resided in the United States for at least five years. Eligible applicants would have to pass a criminal background check, pay taxes and submit $7,000 in restitution over the duration of the seven-year program. After completion, they could renew their status indefinitely to stay and work in the U.S. as long as they meet the criteria. Participants would not be eligible for federal benefits or entitlements.

"Congress has not passed comprehensive immigration reform in our country in nearly four decades," Escobar said. "This bill addresses long standing, long overdue legislation that will benefit our Dreamers, some of the most important young people in our country who by no choice of their own are here and know no other land than America. This will help American families who are married to an undocumented spouse who have long sought relief through the courts, through law. This will help millions and millions of people who are a critical component of the American economy."

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/bipartisan-lawmakers-reup-immigration-bill/