CAN IMMIGRATION BE FIXED? THE 2025 DIGNITY ACT SAYS YES By Josimar Salum

CAN IMMIGRATION BE FIXED? THE 2025 DIGNITY ACT SAYS YES

This is the most comprehensive bipartisan immigration reform bill in decades.

By Josimar Salum – July 15, 2025

In a political era marked by division and deadlock, a group of ten Republicans and ten Democrats has introduced a rare and ambitious bipartisan bill aimed at solving one of the nation’s most contentious issues: immigration. The Dignity Act of 2025 (H.R. 4393), led by Representatives María Elvira Salazar (R-FL) and Veronica Escobar (D-TX), presented this Tuesday is being hailed as the most serious and comprehensive immigration reform effort in decades.

But what exactly is in this 500+ page proposal? Here’s a clear breakdown of the Dignity Act’s key ideas and what it means for immigrants, American workers, and the nation’s future.

1. Border Security and Law Enforcement: “Order First”

The bill takes a firm stance on ending illegal immigration. It aims to secure the southern border by:

• Mandating E-Verify nationwide to prevent hiring undocumented workers.

• Hiring thousands of new border agents and officers, enhancing physical barriers and using cutting-edge technology like surveillance systems and drones.

• Creating new penalties for smugglers, traffickers, and those who damage border security tools.

• Expanding port-of-entry infrastructure to boost legal commerce and trade while stopping illegal crossings.

These provisions signal a clear message: the U.S. will no longer tolerate a chaotic or porous border.

2. Fixing the Asylum Process: “Security and Humanity”

To address the backlog and abuse of the asylum system, the Dignity Act proposes:

• Establishing Humanitarian Campuses at the border where asylum seekers will stay while their cases are decided within 60 days—with healthcare, legal aid, and humane conditions provided.

• Creating screening centers in Latin America to reduce dangerous border journeys.

• Implementing strict anti-fraud policies, including a two-strike rule for repeat unauthorized border crossings.

The intent is to both protect legitimate asylum seekers and stop fraudulent claims—restoring credibility and efficiency to the process.

3. A Pathway for the Undocumented: “Earned Legality, Not Amnesty”

The most controversial, yet pivotal, part of the Dignity Act offers undocumented immigrants—especially those who have been in the U.S. since before December 31, 2020—a chance to earn legal status through work, tax payments, and restitution:

• The “Dignity Program” gives participants 7 years to pay $7,000 in restitution, pass background checks, and stay in good standing.

• In return, they get protection from deportation and full work and travel rights—but no access to welfare or citizenship.

• Afterward, they can apply for “Dignity Status”, a renewable legal residency—again, without a path to permanent residency or citizenship.

Dreamers and DACA recipients have a different route: 10 years of conditional residency with the chance to become permanent residents if they meet education, military, or work requirements.

This structure emphasizes accountability and contribution, not blanket amnesty or shortcuts to citizenship.

4. Empowering American Workers: “Restitution Becomes Opportunity”

The Dignity Act ensures American workers benefit directly from immigration reform:

• It establishes the American Worker Fund, financed entirely by immigrants in the Dignity Program.

• Each immigrant’s restitution will fund training or re-skilling for at least one unemployed American.

• The projected investment: $70 billion into workforce development, apprenticeships, and job readiness.

This unique mechanism ties immigrant accountability to economic opportunity for citizens.

5. Legal Immigration Modernization: “Smart Growth for a Changing Economy”

To boost competitiveness and relieve long-standing visa backlogs, the bill includes:

• Premium processing for immigrants waiting over 10 years—by paying a $20,000 fee.

• Raising country caps for family and work-based visas from 7% to 15%.

• Opening more pathways for STEM PhDs and medical graduates to stay and work in the U.S.

• Creating 90-day family visitor visas, and allowing children to avoid “aging out” of visa eligibility due to delays.

It also demands coordination across federal agencies to streamline visa approvals and eliminate red tape.

Funding Without Taxpayer Dollars

One of the most appealing features of the Dignity Act: it doesn’t cost taxpayers a dime. Instead, it is funded by:

• A 1% paycheck levy on work-authorized immigrants in the Dignity Program.

• The $7,000 restitution payments over seven years.

• A portion of these funds also go to paying down the national debt—with at least $50 billion projected.

A Nation of Laws and Second Chances

Supporters say the Dignity Act strikes a much-needed balance between law enforcement, compassion, and economic realism. It restores order to the border, offers a fair process for those already living in the shadows, protects American jobs, and modernizes the legal immigration system.

Representative Salazar put it this way:

“No handouts. No shortcuts. Just accountability and a path to stability for our economy and our future.”

Representative Escobar added:

“This legislation incorporates both humanity and security… It is a realistic, common-sense compromise."

Conclusion: Will Congress Act?

The Dignity Act faces an uphill battle in a polarized Congress. But its bipartisan foundation, innovative funding model, and comprehensive scope make it the most viable immigration reform proposal in decades. If passed, it could redefine America’s approach to immigration—not as a zero-sum battle, but as a partnership between accountability, dignity, and national interest.

Now, the question is: Will Washington finally fix what’s been broken for far too long? Or will politics again bury progress?

*Youseph and Daniel – Accounting – Business Formation – Tax Returns (Individuals & Businesses) – ITIN – Consulting – IRS Representation*

*www.yousephdaniel.com*

Ben Carson on Immigration

Moral low road to use cheap labor if no path to citizenship

Carson has not directly said if he supports a pathway to citizenship, but in his book America The Beautiful, Carson seemed to imply that a pathway to citizenship is the "moral" thing to do.

"Is it moral for us, for example, to take advantage of cheap labor from illegal immigrants while denying them citizenship? I'm sure you can tell from the way I phrased the question that I believe we have taken the moral low road on this issue," he wrote.

Carson has also said the United States should model its immigration reform after Canada's guest-worker program. "People already here illegally could apply for guest-worker status from outside of the country," Carson wrote in November. "This means they would have to leave first."

Source: National Journal 2016 series: Republicans on immigration , Feb 23, 2015 

Pathway to citizenship unfair to past & current immigrants 

Carson took a hard line on the path-to-citizenship issue: "The American people should not be manipulated into believing that they are heartless simply because they want to preserve the rule of law in our nation and look after their own before they take in others," he wrote. "We also have to consider the millions of people who have immigrated here legally as well as those who are in the queue. 

It is incredibly unfair to them to grant amnesty to those who have jumped ahead of them in line illegally."

Source: National Journal 2016 series: Republicans on immigration , Feb 23, 2015

Use Canadian model for guest worker program 

Dr. Ben Carson was a success [with the Iowa Freedom Summit crowd]. He told a great life story about how he survived serious hardships, and shared his faith. 

With respect to immigration he wants to incorporate a guest worker program modeled on the Canadian one. That's a guest worker program for jobs Americans don't want to do, seal the border, and accept applications only from applicants who are outside of our borders.

Source: Salon.com weblog on 2015 Iowa Freedom Summit , Jan 26, 2015

Common-sense solutions: guest workers plus harsher penalties

Rising conservative star Ben Carson seemed to charm attendees at Saturday's Freedom Summit, weaving stories of his upbringing through a series of topics including immigration and health care. Carson, a best-selling author and retired neurosurgeon, spoke in an easy-going style that alternated between sincere and humorous: "I always feel so welcomed when I come to Iowa, because they have so many people here who actually have common sense," Carson said. Laughter followed.

Carson called for common-sense solutions to end government overreach and return America to traditional values. He spoke at relative length on immigration, calling for harsher penalties for those who employ undocumented immigrants and better border security. Carson also called on the U.S. to adopt a version of Canada's guest worker program, requiring those seeking work to apply while they live outside the U.S.

Source: Des Moines Register on 2015 Iowa Freedom Summit , Jan 24, 2015

Overwhelming majority want the southern border secured

The overwhelming majority of Americans want the southern borders of our country secured and our immigration laws enforced, but several administrations recently have been unwilling to get tough on this issue because they do not want to alienate a large voting block of Latinos. This is yet another area where our government's leadership and the wishes of many of the people diverge and the people are being ignored.

Source: America the Beautiful, by Ben Carson, p. 39 , Jan 24, 2012

Ben Carson sketches plan for dealing with illegal immigrants

Posted on September 13, 2015 by Paul Mirengoff in 2016 presidential election, Ben Carson, Immigration

During an appearance of Face the Nation, Dr. Ben Carson took a stab today at outlining how he would deal with the issue of illegal immigration. After criticizing Donald Trump’s concept of deporting every illegal immigrant (and then readmitting “the good ones”), Carson said this:

[L]et’s say we get [the borders] sealed, because certainly in a Carson administration that would be done within the first year. You also turn off the spigot that dispenses the goodies, so that people don’t have any incentive to come here.

Then those who are here, we have to recognize that we can’t just round them up, but we can give them an opportunity to register. I would give them a six-month period.

If they register, and if they have a pristine record, they haven’t been causing problems, I would give them an opportunity to become guest workers — not citizens, not voting people, not people who get goodies. I think that would be a fair way to do it.

In terms of them becoming citizens later on down the road if they’ve done things the right way, we the American people will decide what the criteria for that ought to be.

Most of the commentary I’ve seen about Carson’s statement has focused on the guest worker idea. I’ll get to it in a moment.

My biggest concern, though, is with Carson’s proposal eventually to establish criteria for illegal immigrants becoming “citizens. down the road if they’ve done things the right way.” By definition, those who are here illegally have not “done things the right way.” They should be barred from becoming U.S. citizens.

As for a guest worker program, I’d like to hear the advantages of such a system over the status quo which, in a sense, is an informal guest worker program for illegal immigrants who keep their noses clean (and many who don’t). Carson suggests one — “registration” of illegal immigrants. But how many would register?

The disadvantages of a guest worker program have been described by Mark Krikorian and Ian Tuttle. It tends to result in permanent settlement and to depress wages.

Carson insists that under his plan, guest workers wouldn’t be permitted to “get goodies.” As Tuttle points out, however, there are a number of “goodies” that are all but impossible to cut off. Many illegal immigrant households receive welfare benefits through American-born children. There is no realistic way to withhold those entitlements.

Somehow, a presumption has arisen that we need to do something for the illegal immigrants living in this country. “Something” might be a guest worker program, full-fledged amnesty, a path to citizenship, or (in Trump’s case) deportation and readmission (in many cases) with legal status.

This presumption is, I think, a symptom of belief in big government and government-imposed solutions. A less (but plenty) ambitious idea is simply to keep illegals out and to deport those who run afoul of the law in any respect.

Finally, what are the politics of the proposal Dr. Carson sketched? Tuttle suggests that because Republican primary voters seem to want a hard line, it’s far from clear that Carson’s plan can be sold at the present time.

Proponents of comprehensive immigration reform have long insisted that the idea of legalizing most illegal immigrants under certain conditions has substantial, and even majority, support among Republicans. Certain poll results notwithstanding, I have never believed this. But neither do I deny that a great many Republicans are sympathetic to “doing something” for illegal immigrants who abide by our laws (except the ones that apply to immigration.

The problem for Carson may be that he likely is not the first or second choice of this portion of the Republican party. He’s competing for votes, I take it, with hardliners like Donald Trump, not with, say, Jeb Bush.

For this reason, Carson’s statement on Face the Nation might prove politically problematic.

In any event, the major candidates are staking out divergent positions on immigration. It should make for an interesting next debate.

http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2015/09/ben-carson-sketches-plan-for-dealing-with-illegal-immigrants.php

http://www.nationalreview.com/article/380627/remove-illegal-immigration-carrots-ben-carson
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/jun/17/carson-the-immigration-football/

http://www.ontheissues.org/2016/Ben_Carson_Immigration.htm

III - On President Obama: Immigration

What has improved with Obama term?

I'd really love to see a single issue of vital importance that did get addressed, much less resolved during those four years.

Oh, yeah, how about injecting trillions of dollars into this crippling financial system, billions of dollars into ruined corporations like automobile factories and millions of dollars for that “green” crony firm that went belly up within months of getting their “birthday present” from the President!?!

I won't say I'm dying of nostalgia for Bush, but I really do miss him in many aspects. For Joe, President Bush is “PERHAPS among the worst American Presidents ever.”

I am gonna say right here that I will never die of or have one bit of nostalgia for the democrat Obama because I am CERTAIN that he is – was and will be – the worst President of the United States has had or ever will have even if reelected he delivers his promise of Immgration Amnesty Reform Obama. Who can believe this after 4 years?

As President, he is showing himself worse every day than even he is!

George Bush and Obama: Immigration Reform

As a citizen honored to be a member of Republican Party I use my voice to put pressure on the politicians to legislate and to produce laws that will benefit millions of “undocumented”

President Bush didn't achieve the passage of Immigration Reform though he promoted the McCain – Kennedy reform bill and by contrast this President hasn't even presented a proposal for a bill on the issue.

Just recently a few months from Election Day, President Obama issued an Executive Order postponing for two years any legal deportation of students under 26 years of age, who have been here since before reaching age 16.

While I cautiously do support this measure I hope it doesn't turn out to be a Trojan Horse with the ulterior motive merely of suborning the votes of the Citizens who support this multitude of hopeful young people who seem to me to amount to more than a million and a half.

Just during this year alone, I have written letters, called and addressed meetings, protested before Democratic and Republican Representatives and Senators so that they would defeat the Budget item of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts that would mandate the non-renewal of Auto-Vehicle Registration for people that do not prove legal residence.

Our Governor Deval Patrick “heroically” vetoed the measure that was defeated by both chambers of the Legislature that each have crushingly Democratic majorities.

Even though this happened so recently, Joe and all other Brazilian Democrat jornalists have already forgotten, or don't wish to divulge, that it was a Democrat who, with more than 70% of his contingent, approved this “law” in persecution of immigrants. So it is, they don't want to even mention the fact.

Anyway you look at it, those who condemn us for being wistful for BUSH are themselves feeling wistful for the PRESIDENT! Since they can't admit that they've supported the worst of all Presidents of the United States they can't forget it... It just won't do to forget what we're seeing all around us and living through every day, and President George W. Bush ceased being President almost four years ago, is not in the media.

Now only the democrats remember him, because we have political reasons and liberal media pressure to decide voluntarily to leave the humanitarians George and Laura to do their work in peace. We must assert the distinction that it's one thing to feel nostalgia and another to remember someone! Always!