(Washington, DC) – Today, Representatives Veronica Escobar (TX-16) and Maria Elvira Salazar (FL-27), along with 20 of their colleagues, announced the reintroduction of their historic, bipartisan immigration reform bill; now, the Dignity Act of 2025. After more than two years of negotiation, there is an updated compromise that addresses legal status and protections for undocumented immigrants, border security, asylum reform, and visa reform.

“I have seen firsthand the devastating consequences of our broken immigration system, and as a member of Congress, I take seriously my obligation to propose a solution. Realistic, common-sense compromise is achievable, and is especially important given the urgency of this moment. I consider the Dignity Act of 2025 a critical first step to overhauling this broken system,” said Congresswoman Escobar. “Immigrants – especially those who have been in the United States for decades – make up a critical component of our communities and also of the American workforce and economy. The vast majority of immigrants are hard-working, law-abiding residents; and, despite how maligned they have been by the administration, most Americans recognize that it is in our country’s best interest to find a solution. We can enact legislation that incorporates both humanity and security, and the Dignity Act of 2025 offers a bipartisan, balanced approach that restores dignity to people who have tried to navigate a broken system for far too long. The reintroduction of this legislation includes changes that reflect the challenges in today’s political environment. I’m proud of my bipartisan work with Representative Salazar, who has been a strong partner on this issue since December 2022. It is our hope that Congress seizes the opportunity to take an important step forward on this issue.”

This comprehensive bill makes meaningful reforms to several aspects of our immigration system:

• It grants legal status and protections to undocumented immigrants already living in the United States;
• It reforms the asylum screening process to provide opportunity for review and access to council;
• It creates new regional processing centers, so migrants do not have to make the perilous journey to the U.S./ Mexico border to seek asylum;
• It invests in border security and modernizes our land ports of entry;
• It mandates accountability for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE);
• It provides a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers.

The last time Congress passed immigration reform was in 1996, and that was driven by Republicans and signed into law by President Bill Clinton. That bill eliminated several legal immigration pathways, essentially making fewer people eligible for legal status while making more people deportable. As we are witnessing historic executive overreach and redirection of resources to our border, it is clear Congress needs to update our immigration laws. And it’s not like Congress hasn’t had the opportunity; over the last 10 years, 8 major pushes for immigration reform have failed:

• In 2013, the Senate on a bipartisan basis passed the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act of 2013, but House Republicans blocked the bill.

• In 2018, a bipartisan group of Senators advanced the Uniting and Securing America Act to protect Dreamers and provide pathway to citizenship, but Senate Republicans blocked it.
• Again in 2018, the Senate tried to advance the United and Securing America Act “Common Sense” Proposal Amendment, but Senate Republicans blocked it.
• Yet again in 2018, the Uniting and Securing America Act made it to the Senate floor but was blocked.
• In 2019, the House passed the American Dream and Promise Act, but Senate Republicans blocked it.
• In 2021, the House again passed the American Dream and Promise Act, but Senate Republicans again blocked it.
• In 2021 and 2022, the President proposed record funding for more border agents, more asylum officers, more immigration judges, more border technology, and more detention capacity. Republicans in Congress failed to fund these both requests.
• In 2024, Republican Senator Lankford led a bipartisan group of senators trying to fund a border security and foreign aid package that failed due to significant pushback from Republicans such as Donald Trump.

The Dignity Act of 2025 is co-sponsored by Democratic Representatives Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Susie Lee (NV-03), Salud Carbajal (CA-24), Mike Levin (CA-49), Lori Trahan (MA-03), Hilary Scholten (MI-03), Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), Jake Auchincloss (MA-04), Adam Gray (CA-13), and Laura Gillen (NY-04) and Republican Representatives Dan Newhouse (WA-04), Mike Lawler (NY-17), David Valadao (CA-22), Mike Kelly (PA-03), Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-08), Gabe Evans (CO-08), Marlin Stutzman (IN-03), Don Bacon (NE-02), Mario Rafael Díaz-Balart (FL-26), and Young Kim (CA-40).

A summary of the bill can be found here, full text can be found here, and photos can be found here. For more endorsements and quotes, click here.