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5h ago

GOP Rift Deepens Over Bipartisan Dignity Act Immigration Plan

Backers pitch an enforcement-first plan with a seven-year legal-status track critics label amnesty.

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 25: Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL) speaks to reporters while arriving at the Capitol Hill Club for a meeting of the House Republican Conference on March 25, 2025 in Washington, DC. Republicans are meeting as the Trump administration faces blowback after defense plans were posted to a group chat that accidentally included a prominent journalist. (Photo by Al Drago/Getty Images)
Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL) (C), accompanied by Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-TX) (C-L), speaks at a Dignity Coalition news conference on Capitol Hill on March 25, 2026 in Washington, DC.
Maria Salazar and lawmakers touting the Dignity Act.
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Overview

  • Following Tuesday’s heated exchange on X between Reps. María Elvira Salazar and Brandon Gill, a Republican split burst into public view over whether the DIGNIDAD (Dignity) Act amounts to amnesty.
  • The House bill, reintroduced in July 2025 and now reported to have roughly 20 Republican and 20 Democratic co-sponsors, pairs tougher border measures and mandatory E-Verify with a seven-year “Dignity Program” granting renewable legal status and work permits to certain long-term undocumented residents.
  • Sponsors say the plan is enforcement-first with background checks, fees, tax compliance, and no citizenship path, while conservative critics argue specific sections would halt many deportations and expand immigration through higher per-country visa caps.
  • Rep. Mike Lawler has promoted renewed support on television, and Salazar has posted detailed defenses online, as right-leaning figures and outlets counter with claims that the bill shields people here before 2021 and fast-tracks protections for Dreamers and some DACA recipients.
  • The White House has not endorsed the proposal, and press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in 2025 that President Trump would not support amnesty, setting uncertain prospects for floor action and signaling political stakes heading into the 2026 midterms.