A House of Representatives bill introduced by Representative Maria Salazar (R-FL) aims to change the American immigration system drastically—and not for the better. The Dignity Act, co-sponsored by far-left Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-TX), would increase the country caps for the H-1B foreign worker visa program, grant mass amnesty to illegal immigrants, and likely incentivize further unlawful border crossings. As a trade-off, the legislation would expand border security funding, increase the number of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents in the field, and establish a federal requirement for employers to use an immigration status verification system modeled on E-Verify.

Rep. Salazar contends the “Dignity Act is based on the biblical principles of Dignity and Redemption” and “…will restore law and order to our immigration system and support American workers.” Concerningly, the Florida Republican admits the legislation was heavily influenced by corporate special interests in the agriculture sector and pro-open borders nonprofits that present themselves as immigration reform organizations.

MASS AMNESTY. 

The most common criticism of the Dignity Act is its creation of three new federal programs, which would grant mass amnesty to illegal immigrants currently in the United States and further encourage more individuals to attempt to enter the country unlawfully.

• Illegal immigrants who crossed the border as minors would be granted a pathway to permanent resident status, mirroring the far-left DREAM Act pushed by Congressional Democrats and former President Barack Obama in the early and mid-2000s;
• The legislation would establish the ‘Dignity Program,’ which would prevent the immediate deportation of illegal immigrants who are employed, lack a criminal record, and pay into a federal fund that provides skills training for American workers.
  • In effect, the Dignity Act would—at least temporarily—defer federal immigration enforcement actions against a large swath of the over 20 million illegals currently residing in the U.S.
• The bill would also create the ‘Redemption Program,’ which would grant permanent resident status to illegal immigrants who complete the ‘Dignity Program.’
  • Critics argue that codifying a pathway to legal status for illegal immigrants will only encourage more foreign nationals to flood across the U.S. border. In addition, the new programs would serve as part of a broader pipeline supplying cheap foreign labor to American corporations.

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IMPORTING CHEAP LABOR.

One of the Dignity Act’s most concerning provisions is its reckless increase in the country caps in the H-1B foreign worker visa program. Salazar is proposing increasing the caps—which essentially limit the number of visas issued and prevent any one country from dominating the program—from seven percent to 15 percent. 

The H-1B program is already rife with fraud, and numerous “visa mill” contracting firms like Cognizant and Infosys—which essentially serve as the primary pipeline for importing cheap labor from India—have been investigated and heavily fined by the U.S. Department of Justice.

Despite federal legal action, these contracting firms—primarily supplying the Information Technology (IT) industry and Silicon Valley with labor—continue to operate. Even more concerning is that around 99.9 percent of all H-1B visa requests were approved in FY 2023, suggesting applicants receive minimal scrutiny.

Data analyzed by The National Pulse from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services’s (USCIS) FY 2023 report to Congress shows that while H-1Bs are currently statutorily capped at 85,000 new approvals each year, a series of exemptions for American universities and research nonprofits means the actual number of new H-1B approvals is over 100,000. Additionally, visa reapprovals mean the total number of H-1B holders in the U.S. is nearly 400,000.

BORDER SECURITY. 

As a trade-off for mass amnesty and an unprecedented expansion of the cheap foreign labor pool, Salazar’s Dignity Act would earmark $25,000,000,000 for a fund that can be used to increase U.S. border security and expand border control infrastructure.

Border security agencies like the CBP will see an increase in the number of agents they can deploy into the field. At the same time, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will be able to overhaul more technologically sophisticated security measures to prevent unlawful entry into the U.S.

In addition, the Dignity Act would increase the number of immigration judges by at least 150 and boost their support staff. This, in theory, would expedite immigration hearings and removals, effectively preventing those slated for separation from remaining in the country for any extended period of time.

Lastly, Salazar’s bill mandates U.S. employers verify their workers’ immigration status through a federal program modeled on E-Verity. Proponents of employment verification programs contend this measure will significantly reduce the number of illegal immigrants who can unlawfully attain employment.

While the system would provide a barrier against U.S. corporations from hiring illegal immigrants, it is unclear how much it will deter companies from unlawfully employing cheap foreign labor ‘off-the-books’ if it is not strictly enforced.