Press Releases
What They’re Saying: Congresswoman Escobar Reintroduces the Dignity Act
El Paso, TX,
July 18, 2025
Tags:
Immigration
This week, Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16) and Congresswoman Maria Salazar (FL-27) reintroduced their comprehensive, bipartisan immigration reform bill. CAP Welcomes the Reintroduction of the Dignity Act July 15, 2025 Earlier today Reps. Veronica Escobar (D-TX) and Maria Salazar (R-FL) reintroduced the Dignity Act. Following the bill reintroduction, Debu Gandhi, senior director of Immigration Policy at the Center for American Progress, issued the following statement: “The wanton cruelty, chaos, and lawlessness of the Trump administration’s sledgehammer approach to immigration policy fails to actually fix our broken system. There has never been more urgency for real solutions to modernize America’s immigration laws. The bipartisan Dignity Act contains a balance of policies to enhance border security while creating an immigration system that works for the country as a whole. Leaders of goodwill can create better immigration policies that make America more prosperous and secure without losing touch with our values. In the face of Trump’s terror tactics on immigration, America needs constructive, bipartisan legislative initiatives like the Dignity Act.” FWD.us Statement on Reintroduction of the Bipartisan Dignity Act July 15, 2025 FWD.us President Todd Schulte issued the following statement in support of today’s reintroduction of the bipartisan Dignity Act by Representatives María Elvira Salazar (R-FL) and Veronica Escobar (D-TX): “The bipartisan Dignity Act is a much-needed step forward. We thank Congresswomen Salazar and Escobar, along with the bill’s other co-sponsors, for reintroducing this important bipartisan legislation today. If enacted, the Dignity Act would offer opportunities to strengthen our legal immigration system, protect immigrant families, secure the border, and provide stability for individuals who have contributed to this country for decades. It presents a stark alternative to the harmful actions we’re seeing every day, with the ramp-up in deportations and efforts to strip away status and work authorization from millions. “At a time when polling clearly shows the American public is strongly against the attacks on immigrant communities they’re seeing on a daily basis, providing Dreamers and other undocumented immigrants legal status should be the central policy and political call to action—and is overwhelmingly popular. For policymakers who do not support separating millions of families and mass deportations, fighting to pass legislation that allows people to work and live without fear of deportation is the answer. “We will continue to fight for a more fair and just immigration system, including a pathway to citizenship for all undocumented immigrants building their lives in the United States. We hope today’s reintroduction will be met by more steps towards commonsense immigration reform.” July 15, 2025 Third Way released the following statement from Lanae Erickson, Senior Vice President for Social Policy, Education, & Politics on the House introduction of the Dignity Act, bipartisan legislation to solve the chaos at the border and the chaos in communities from Trump’s mass deportations. “Americans are desperate for solutions that deliver order at the border, but they are equally appalled by scenes of masked ICE agents in plainclothes snatching law-abiding parents who have been contributing to their communities for years and locking them up without a hearing. Instead of fixing our broken immigration system, the actions of this administration are destroying it further. “We need solutions that offer law and order, not terror and chaos. The Dignity Act is a strong and serious proposal that would fund our border, reform our asylum system, and provide a pathway for longtime residents of this country to earn legal status, pay their way, work, and provide for their families. For Dreamers whose lives became a political football, it offers certainty. It would allow those who have another path to earn citizenship to do so but give stability to millions of undocumented people who don’t. And it would invest in American workers while ensuring American businesses have the labor force they need to thrive and grow. “We support a genuine, bipartisan effort to address this crisis. The Dignity Act answers the urgency this issue demands with the thoughtful and nuanced balancing of equities that the American people deserve. “In a moment of fear, political extremism, and posturing, the Dignity Act’s sponsors have outlined a different way to govern. They acknowledge hard truths and take them head on, proving that we still can be a nation of laws and a nation of immigrants. It’s crystal clear that we can be neither unless we are both.” American Business Immigration Council Welcome Reintroduction of Bipartisan Dignity Act July 15, 2025 “As business leaders across the country grapple with labor uncertainty, the Dignity Act offers a pragmatic, bipartisan path forward that strengthens our economy and workforce.” U.S. Chamber Statement: DIGNITY Act of 2025 July 15, 2025 U.S. Chamber of Commerce Executive Vice President and Chief Policy Officer Neil Bradley released the following statement today following the bipartisan introduction of the DIGNITY Act by Representatives María Elvira Salazar (FL-27) and Veronica Escobar (TX-16): “The U.S. Chamber of Commerce supports the DIGNITY Act as a constructive step towards providing the necessary resources to strengthen border security that builds on President Trump’s success at the southern border. This bipartisan bill offers sensible solutions for the legal immigration system, addresses critical workforce needs for businesses, and advances American innovation and productivity. The U.S. Chamber appreciates the efforts of Representatives Salazar and Escobar and looks forward to continued collaboration with all members of Congress who are committed to addressing the security and workforce needs of our country.” National Retail Federation (NRF) and the National Council of Chain Restaurants (NCCR) Commend Bipartisan Effort to Introduce the Dignity Act July 18, 2025 “NRF and NCCR have long maintained that immigration reforms are necessary to better accommodate employers’ workforce needs. Both associations are pleased to support this legislation, which would reform and update our nation’s immigration system to promote economic development and enhance national security. “The National Retail Federation, the world’s largest retail trade association, passionately advocates for the people, brands, policies, and ideas that help retail succeed. From its headquarters in Washington, D.C., NRF empowers the industry that powers the economy. Retail is the nation’s largest private-sector employer, contributing $3.9 trillion to annual GDP and supporting one in four U.S. jobs – 52 million working Americans. For over a century, NRF has been a voice for every retailer and every retail job, educating, inspiring, and communicating the powerful impact retail has on local communities and global economies. “The National Council of Chain Restaurants, a division of the National Retail Federation, is the leading organization exclusively representing chain restaurant companies. For more than 40 years, NCCR has worked to advance sound public policy that serves restaurant businesses and the millions of people they employ. NCCR members include the country’s most respected quick-service and table-service chain restaurants. “The Dignity Act aims to strengthen border security while maintaining viable legal avenues for immigration. The Act includes measures to reform the asylum system and protect Dreamers. It introduces the “Dignity Program,” which allows undocumented immigrants who comply with federal and state laws and pay back taxes to work, earn legal status, and be protected from removal proceedings. “NRF and NCCR have supported – and will continue to support – policies to enhance the efficiency and functionality of our nation’s currently outdated legal immigration system. The Dignity Act is a positive step toward such immigration reforms that are long overdue. We are pleased to see Republicans and Democrats working in good faith to ensure the viability of legal immigration pathways.” UnidosUS Comments on Bipartisan Dignity Act July 16, 2025 “We welcome bipartisan efforts to protect long-residing immigrants who have built their lives here. Any serious solution must offer stability, legal status and a path forward. We welcome bipartisan efforts to protect long-residing immigrants who have built their lives here. Any serious solution must offer stability, legal status and a path forward. UnidosUS polling shows 66% of Latino voters want Congress to prioritize a pathway to citizenship for undocumented individuals. A strong majority of voters across the country agree. We look forward to working with leaders in Congress to strengthen proposals that reflect what the public supports and what immigrant families deserve: dignity, protection and a chance to stay.”
Read More: July 17, 2025 America’s Voice Reacts to Bipartisan Introduction of “The Dignity Act of 2025” July 15, 2025 July 15, 2025 July 15, 2025 Niskanen backs the reintroduction of the Bipartisan Dignity Act July 15, 2025 Business Roundtable Applauds Congresswomen Escobar and Salazar July 16, 2025
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