With the nation bogged down in partisan, polarized debate surrounding immigration, the DIGNIDAD Act provides the first bipartisan effort at reform effectively transcends party lines with seemingly practical solutions and works to address security, documentation, and humanitarian aid. The system currently faces a backlog of 1.6 million cases and unprecedented humanitarian displacement in Latin America. The situation shows no signs of slowing. The evenly divided Congress could prove a barrier to this bill’s eventual enactment. For now, the results remain very uncertain, and the sluggish US government will continue to deliberate in the coming months.
Last May, Congresswomen María Elvira Salazar (R-FL) and Veronica Escobar (D-TX) introduced a new immigration reform bill called the “Dignity for Immigrants while Guarding our Nation to Ignite and Deliver the American Dream Act of 2023” or the, “DIGNIDAD (Dignity) on Act of 2023.” The bill is a bipartisan effort that aims to “fix our nation’s broken immigration system,” according Salazar. An effort that reaches across party lines to inspire true change within the US’ broken and backlogged immigration system, this new reform bill is necessitated by Title 42’s expiration which has caused significant immigrant inflow, especially from Latin American countries
The DIGNIDAD Act addresses many key concerns regarding the US immigration system Border Security, Pathways to Citizenship, and Asylum Reform. It bolsters the United States’ border security and secure it from refugee inflow by proposing not only a minimum of 10 billion dollars to be provided to the Department of Homeland Security(DHS) for border infrastructure but also by establishing a new Immigration Infrastructure Fund to allocate additional capital to keep the border tightly monitored. It demands more personnel, more training, more technology, better communication, and more investment at the border, distinguishing itself from the Trump border wall efforts. It requires the DHS to update and Border Patrol Strategic Plan every two years.
Salazar and Escobar proposed that the US establish an entirely new legal status for undocumented immigrants in the United States. The “Dignity” legal status would grant undocumented immigrants a genuine legal status, one similar to a green card or work visa, that would let immigrants reside in the USA without fear of deportation, and give them access to some governmental institutions and services. The “Dignity” title would be permanently renewable and is aimed at bringing some 11 million undocumented people out of the shadows. The primary requirements to participate in the program would be to pass a criminal background check, pay all outstanding and future taxes, and provide $5,000 over seven years. The proposed bill would not change existing citizenship pathways such as the Dreamers or Redemption program.
The DIGNIDAD Act also addresses many critical flaws in the current US Asylum system as well. It provides for the construction of 5 facilities outside of the US, to offer immigration services and asylum pre-screening in key Latin American locations. This builds on Biden’s efforts to have asylum seekers apply online prior to admission to the USA. Additionally, the act would create Humanitarian Campuses across the USA that would serve as locations for asylum screening, cases, and interviews. After taking a Credible Fear Interview (CFI), asylum cases would be processed in a 45-day period, and a secondary review can be requested after the initial ruling. The DHS would also be required to have 500 asylum officers available across these campuses.
If enacted, the DIGNIDAD Act will challenge both Republicans and Democrats to support ambitious new directions in immigration. Congresswomen Salazar and Escobar were courageous enough to cross the aisle and provide the first non-political immigration reform effort that Congress has seen in years. Let’s see how brave their colleagues will be to join them.
