100+ Great Articles: Salazar's Dignity Act Dominates the News

by María Elvira Salazar on February 15, 2024 at 12:45 PM

Since its introduction in May 2023, H.R. 3599, Reps. María Elvira Salazar (R-FL) and Veronica Escobar’s (D-TX) bipartisan Dignity Act has received extensive coverage and published endorsements. The articles below are written by a wide range of authors, including prominent journalists, policy experts, economists, religious leaders, Members of Congress, and other passionate Americans.

The Dignity Act is the most viable legislation in Congress that secures our border and fixes our broken immigration system. As immigration remains a central issue facing the American people, bipartisan solutions like the ones presented in the Dignity Act must urgently be passed into law. 32 Members of Congress are now supporting as cosponsors of the bill, and the list continues to grow in the face of a dire migrant crisis putting strain on American communities.

“The Dignity Act is the only bipartisan immigration legislation that can be passed in the House of Representatives and the Senate,” said Rep. Salazar. “The American people are tired of Washington playing political games around our illegal immigration crisis. Let’s secure our border and solve this crisis by passing the Dignity Act into law – NOW!”

Below is a condensed list of mentions and commentary of the Dignity Act in the news, with some good reads up top.

TOP DIGNITY ACT GOOD READS

(1) It's Time We Address Immigration with Dignity [María Elvira Salazar, 01/25/2024]

“It's time both parties wake up and face the reality of a divided government. If we don't want to keep the status quo, bipartisan immigration overhaul is the only path forward. That's why after Title 42 authority expired last year, I introduced the Dignity Act… My bill is the first major immigration bill in 40 years that would eliminate the crisis at the border. It includes major priorities that both Republicans and Democrats want to see. With over 30 co-sponsors and more than 50 stakeholders and organizations supporting the bill, the Dignity Act has already made significant headway in Congress.”

(2) The Conservative Case for Immigration [Neil Gross, 12/18/2023]

“Whatever the motivation, conservative antipathy to immigration has long stood in the way of comprehensive immigration reform. The best hope for such reform (once the Ukraine aid stalemate is resolved) may be the Dignity Act, a thoughtful piece of legislation introduced earlier this year by Representative María Salazar, a moderate Republican from Florida, and Representative Veronica Escobar, a Democrat from Texas. The Dignity Act strengthens border security—with attention to humanitarian considerations—while expanding opportunities for legal immigration and offering pathways to legal residence for undocumented migrants. The bill has some bipartisan support and the backing of the US Chamber of Commerce but is effectively dead in the water because of opposition from the hard-right in the House.”

(3) A dignified plan to address the border [Jesse Rincones, 12/05/2023]

“But there’s a bipartisan solution already introduced in Congress: the Dignity Act… The act, championed by two Latina members of Congress, María Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.) and Veronica Escobar (D-Tex.), increases funding for asylum officers and border security, streamlines the process for quicker determinations of eligibility and provides more pathways to legal status… This approach not only addresses the immediate challenges at the border but also offers a humane and comprehensive solution to the broader immigration crisis, an approach endorsed by 80 percent of evangelicals, including me. The Dignity Act — with more border resources and procedural reforms, in return for more avenues to legal status — has the best shot of fixing the border.”

(4) Don’t you want $35 billion worth of border security? [Josh T. Smith, 11/21/2023]

“The Dignity Act is a perfect example of how reforms to immigration rules can be combined with border security in a way that makes both Border Patrol and legal pathways more effective. If reforms like the Dignity Act can find a way through the political maze, they will represent a huge benefit to the country. The combination of increased legal pathways and border security efforts reinforce each other. They work best together… The real lesson for those serious about border security is this: Border security and immigration reform are not opposing goals. Instead, they are two sides of the same coin. An investment in one strengthens the other… In the end, $35 billion worth of border security, when it comes hand-in-hand with immigration reform, will make America stronger and more secure. That should be something everyone can celebrate.”

(5) Immigration bill floated during shutdown debate could slam door on persecuted church [Ryan Brown and Myal Greene, 10/16/2023]

“As Christian advocates for victims of persecution around the world, we understand clearly the importance of secure borders: We never want the terrorists, criminals, or authoritarian actors that harass and sometimes martyr fellow Christians around the world to be able to do the same in the United States… That does not mean that every person who reaches the U.S. border should be allowed to stay. It does mean that we must take care to ensure due process, erring on the side of protecting human life. Bipartisan proposals such as the Dignity Act, which would dramatically increase border security funding and ramp up asylum adjudication capacity, are worthy of consideration.”

(6) Evangelical Christians Want North Carolina’s congressional leaders to act on immigration [Ben Milner, 10/08/2023]

“The bipartisan Dignity Act would not only allocate $35 billion to increased border security, but also would grant a path to citizenship for immigrants who have come into this country as children. This citizenship can provide protection, for instance, to wives in abusive marriages… Before I left for Washington, I consulted with two friends at church, wondering if it would be wise for me to speak in favor of pro-immigration policies. I assumed, wrongly, that evangelicals tend to be skeptical of such things. The reality is that, according to a 2022 Lifeway research poll, 83% of evangelicals think that legal immigrants are helpful to the U.S. and 71% of evangelicals think it’s important for Congress to pass new pro-immigration legislation. This shouldn’t be surprising… Christians have even more reason to embrace immigrants. We believe that the God of Israel took on flesh and resided among us as an alien and a stranger: ‘The Celestial Immigrant,’ as one of my colleagues in D.C. called him. That was Jesus’ conception of himself. In Matthew 25.35 he says, “I was an immigrant, and you invited me in.’”

(7) The US is facing a labor shortage — immigration is the solution [Johannes Lang and Zuzana Cepla, 08/18/2023]

“For over 35 years, the American political system has been unable to make any significant change to U.S. immigration policy. In June 2023, a bipartisan coalition of representatives introduced the Dignity Act, a comprehensive immigration reform bill. This followed a poll showing that four out of five Americans support bipartisan cooperation on immigration that would address labor shortages and inflation. While U.S. politics may continue to prevent an immigration grand bargain, there are many common sense reforms the government could take to fill gaps in our current workforce. American policymakers need to wake up to a new reality: The country is running out of workers, and immigration must be part of the solution.”

(8) Bipartisan immigration plan is the reform we need [Dallas Morning News Editorial Board, 08/01/2023]

“Our immigration system is no longer just broken and messy. It’s now dangerously dysfunctional, as Congress repeatedly proves the adage that if you aren’t part of the solution, then you’re part of the problem. Privately, lawmakers may agree that immigration policy isn’t working. But if they are truly serious about reform, then they should take a look at the bipartisan Dignity Act of 2023… Our national policy must balance border security while offering migrants a path to legal status and a future in this country. And it must happen now.”

(9) The pioneer legacy is an immigrant legacy [Jennie Murray, 07/23/2023]

“At his annual address to Congress in 1883, President Grover Cleveland proposed a blanket ban on Latter-day Saint immigration into the U.S., similar to the existing Chinese ban… The days of religious-based discrimination in our immigration policy is not that far behind us. But even if the motive is not religious, large groups of migrants face similar hardships today… The Dignity Act is a way to protect these migrants. The bill is supported by both Republicans and Democrats, and it addresses priorities for both camps. It offers funding for security at the southern border, and it creates a path to citizenship for many of the undocumented, law-abiding individuals already living within the U.S. It also would make significant changes to the asylum system, some aimed at efficiency, though the proposals raise concerns about asylum access.”

(10) Minnesota's future: Our biggest asset is people. Immigration reform is the timely way to build it. [Bill Blazar, 07/08/2023]

The real key to advancing international migration and Minnesota's economy sits in Washington. Who and how many immigrants arrive is overwhelmingly a function of federal law, which is badly out of date. President Ronald Reagan and the Democrat-led Congress did the last major update in 1986. Sadly, President Joe Biden and current congressional leaders appear in no hurry… There is hope. In May, U.S. Rep María Salazar, R-Fla., introduced legislation that addresses all the items listed above… They know that immigration is the only timely and practical way to give the people necessary for change and growth.”

(11) Hispanic women introduce bipartisan immigration bill in House [Marianna Sotomayor and Theodoric Meyer, 05/24/2023]

“A bipartisan duo of Hispanic women Tuesday introduced the most robust immigration proposal to date this Congress, a significant collaboration as a new generation of lawmakers pushes for meaningful reform of the nation’s immigration system after decades of failed attempts. For six months, Reps. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.) and Veronica Escobar (D-Tex.) have been quietly negotiating… while leaning on their lived experiences as lawmakers representing border districts with majority Hispanic constituencies… The bipartisan bill is another step in the effort to force a conversation between the parties as immigration-related issues continue to affect communities around the country. A growing group of lawmakers, who were elected after the last push for comprehensive immigration reform failed in 2013, is eager to engage in the debate, while many who came before them have lost hope. Salazar called immigration reform ‘the most toxic topic in Congress.’”