Originally introduced in July 2025, the “Dignity for Immigrants while Guarding our Nation to Ignite and Deliver the American Dream Act of 2025” (the DIGNIDAD Act or Dignity Act, H.R. 4393) is a bipartisan immigration reform bill that continues to gain co-sponsors in the House of Representatives. Rep. María Elvira Salazar (R-FL), a Cuban-American who has championed border security alongside a process that the co-sponsor views as a more humane approach to undocumented immigrants already living in the United States, introduced the bill, and Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-TX), a congresswoman representing a border district who has long advocated for immigrant rights and comprehensive reform, co-introduced it. Their collaboration reflects the bill’s core premise: that border security and their perspective of more humanitarian solutions are not mutually exclusive.

This bipartisan proposal currently has 39 co-sponsors — 20 Democrats and 19 Republicans — and aims to address some of the most pressing concerns impacting the immigration landscape: securing America’s borders, addressing undocumented immigrants in the United States, reforming legal immigration, and investing in American workers.

Bipartisan Support: Where Republicans and Democrats Agree

What makes the DIGNIDAD Act notable is its ability to attract support from both Republican and Democratic lawmakers — a rare achievement in today’s political environment. The bill reflects deliberate compromises designed to appeal to each party’s core priorities.

Republican priorities reflected in the bill:

  • Investment in physical barriers, surveillance technology, and Border Patrol resources — addressing the GOP’s longstanding demand for robust border enforcement;
  • Mandatory E-Verify for all employers, a measure some Republicans have pushed for years to curb unauthorized employment;
  • No pathway to citizenship through the Dignity Program, preserving the primacy of legal immigration channels — a key red line for many conservatives; and
  • Restitution payments from program participants, framing legal status as earned rather than granted.

Democratic priorities reflected in the bill:

  • A realistic, human-focused experience pathway to legal status for millions of long-term undocumented residents, avoiding mass deportation;
  • Dream Act protections for childhood arrivals (Dreamers), a cause Democrats have championed for decades;
  • Border processing campuses with legal counsel, medical care, and mental health services;
  • Family unity protections, including higher per-country visa caps and safeguards for children aging out of eligibility; and
  • Investment in workforce development and job training for American workers, funded through participant restitution payments.

The bill has also earned endorsements from more than 75 organizations spanning faith communities, business groups, veterans’ organizations, universities, and civic groups. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Essential Worker Immigration Coalition (EWIC), led by Greenberg Traurig, have both issued formal letters of support, highlighting the bill’s potential to address workforce shortages and modernize legal immigration pathways.

Legislative Outlook: Significant Hurdles Ahead

Despite its growing momentum and broad stakeholder support, co-sponsors may face challenges in attempting to pass H.R. 4393 this year. The bill has been referred to multiple House committees, and clearing each of them represents a procedural hurdle that few bills of this complexity manage.

Additionally, 2026 is a midterm election year. With all 435 House seats and 34 Senate seats on the ballot in November, members of Congress in competitive districts may be especially cautious about casting votes on immigration — historically one of the most politically charged issues in American politics. Republican leadership in the House, which controls the floor schedule, has shown limited appetite for bringing a bill that includes a pathway to legal status to the floor ahead of an election. Meanwhile, some Democrats may remain reluctant to support a bill that does not include a direct citizenship pathway for Dreamers beyond conditional permanent residency. Taken together, these political dynamics may complicate prospects for the bill in its current form this year.

None of this diminishes the significance of H.R. 4393 as a policy framework or a statement of bipartisan intent. The bill’s growing coalition of co-sponsors and endorsers demonstrates that a workable compromise on immigration may be achievable. Stakeholders and employers tracking this legislation should monitor whether its provisions find their way into narrower, more targeted legislation that may have better prospects for passage in the current political environment.

Securing America’s Borders

The DIGNIDAD Act starts with a focus on border security. If passed as introduced, key provisions would include:

  • Modernization of Barriers and Technology: The Secretary of Homeland Security must deploy the most practical and effective physical barriers, tactical infrastructure, and advanced technology (such as sensors, drones, and surveillance towers) at high-traffic areas along the U.S. borders.
  • Increased Border Patrol Resources: The bill mandates higher minimum rates of pay for Border Patrol agents, expanded training, body-worn camera pilots, and the hiring of dedicated processing coordinators to free up agents for frontline work.
  • Community Oversight: A Department of Homeland Security Border Oversight Commission will be established to provide ongoing input from border communities, local law enforcement, business, and tribal representatives.

Modernizing Legal Immigration

The bill also takes major steps to address legal immigration backlogs and promote American competitiveness:

  • Backlog Reduction: The bill would allow long-waiting beneficiaries of family and employment-based visas to obtain green cards after 10 years, with premium processing options to accelerate cases.
  • STEM Talent: The bill would recognize U.S. doctoral graduates in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields as having “extraordinary ability,” making it easier for them to obtain work visas.
  • Family Unity and Fairness: The bill would raise per-country visa caps, protect children from “aging out” of eligibility, and provide new temporary family visitation visas.
  • Resources for Processing: The bill would allocate billions in new funding for USCIS, the Department of State, and the Department of Labor to reduce backlogs and process visas more efficiently.

Mandatory E-Verify and Employer Accountability

To address unauthorized employment, the Dignity Act would establish a mandatory E-Verify system for all U.S. employers, phased in based on company size. Penalties for non-compliance would increase, and states would be empowered to enforce business licensing consequences for violations. The bill also includes provisions meant to prevent document fraud and identity theft.

Asylum Reform and Humanitarian Focused Processing

Recognizing the humanitarian crisis at the border, the DIGNIDAD Act proposes:

  • Full Care Campuses: The bill would establish at least three border facilities with medical staff, legal orientation programs, social workers, and mental health professionals to process asylum seekers in a way that acknowledges the potential trauma experienced in their journey.
  • Expedited Asylum Determinations: The bill would streamline the asylum process, including faster credible fear screenings and secondary reviews, while ensuring applicants have access to legal counsel.
  • Anti-Fraud Measures: The bill would introduce stricter penalties for asylum fraud and require audio or video recordings of expedited removal interviews.

A Pathway to Legal Status: The Dignity Program

The bill also contains the Dignity Program, a multi-year process offering undocumented immigrants who arrived before Dec. 31, 2020, the chance to earn legal status. Key features include:

  • Deferred Action and Work Authorization: Eligible participants would receive work permits and protection from deportation for seven years, renewable indefinitely.
  • Restitution Payments: Participants would be required to pay a total of $7,000 over the program period, directed to a fund supporting American workers and workforce development.
  • Good Standing Requirements: Participants would be required to maintain employment, pay taxes, avoid public benefits, and stay out of legal trouble.
  • No Direct Path to Citizenship: Dignity Status would allow indefinite legal presence and work authorization, but it would not provide a special pathway to citizenship — a deliberate design choice intended to preserve fairness for those who have followed established legal pathways.

Investment in American Workers

The bill proposes using restitution payments and certain visa fees to fund workforce development, apprenticeships, and job training for American workers in high-demand sectors.

The Dream Act: Permanent Relief for Childhood Arrivals

The DIGNIDAD Act also includes a version of the Dream Act, providing conditional permanent resident status to Dreamers, with the possibility of full lawful permanent residency upon meeting education, military, or work requirements.