# 119-hr-4393: DIGNIDAD (Dignity) Act of 2025 119-hr-4393, DIGNIDAD (Dignity) Act of 2025, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Salazar, Maria Elvira [R-FL-27] (R-FL); status in_committee; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-09-21). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-4393 - As of: 2026-09-21 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: 119-hr-4393 - Congress: 119 - Title: DIGNIDAD (Dignity) Act of 2025 - Status: in_committee - Introduced: 2025-07-15 - Sponsor: Rep. Salazar, Maria Elvira [R-FL-27] (R-FL) - Cosponsors: 39 - Policy area: Immigration - Touches household money: yes - Last recorded action: 2026-09-21 ## Summary **Border security and immigration-system overhaul.** This bill pairs expanded physical barriers and advanced surveillance with sweeping changes to enforcement, asylum processing, employer verification, and new legal-status programs. - Creates at least three humanitarian campuses along the southern border within 12 months to perform biometrics, medical screenings, credible‑fear and asylum interviews, legal orientation, and child‑sensitive care. It requires sponsor criminal checks and directs USCIS to hire at least 300 asylum officers to speed decisions. - Establishes a mandatory federal employment‑verification system replacing the old E‑Verify framework with phased reverification (employers with 10,000+ start in 6 months; agricultural workers delayed to 30 months). It raises civil penalties, narrows remedies to the Federal Tort Claims Act, and funds SSA verification costs via an interagency agreement. - Funds ports and enforcement upgrades and creates new fee and trust mechanisms. It authorizes $2.0 billion per year for ports for FY2026–2030 and about $3.6 billion in FY2026 appropriations to USCIS, the State Department, and DOL. It also creates the Immigration Infrastructure and Debt Reduction Fund, adds a $20,000 premium fee class for very long‑pending beneficiaries, and expands criminal offenses and mandatory sentences. *Authorizes roughly $10.0 billion for ports across FY2026–2030 and about $3.6 billion in FY2026 appropriations, while creating new fee revenue and a trust fund intended to finance programs and later reduce the national debt.* ## Cosponsors (39) - Rep. Escobar, Veronica [D-TX-16] (D-TX), 2025-07-15T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. Lawler, Michael [R-NY-17] (R-NY), 2025-07-15T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. Espaillat, Adriano [D-NY-13] (D-NY), 2025-07-15T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. Valadao, David G. [R-CA-22] (R-CA), 2025-07-15T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. Scholten, Hillary J. [D-MI-3] (D-MI), 2025-07-15T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. Newhouse, Dan [R-WA-4] (R-WA), 2025-07-15T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. Lee, Susie [D-NV-3] (D-NV), 2025-07-15T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. Kelly, Mike [R-PA-16] (R-PA), 2025-07-15T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. Gray, Adam [D-CA-13] (D-CA), 2025-07-15T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1] (R-PA), 2025-07-15T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. Carbajal, Salud O. [D-CA-24] (D-CA), 2025-07-15T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. Evans, Gabe [R-CO-8] (R-CO), 2025-07-15T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. Levin, Mike [D-CA-49] (D-CA), 2025-07-15T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. Stutzman, Marlin A. [R-IN-3] (R-IN), 2025-07-15T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. Budzinski, Nikki [D-IL-13] (D-IL), 2025-07-15T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. Bacon, Don [R-NE-2] (R-NE), 2025-07-15T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. Gillen, Laura [D-NY-4] (D-NY), 2025-07-15T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. Kim, Young [R-CA-40] (R-CA), 2025-07-15T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. Auchincloss, Jake [D-MA-4] (D-MA), 2025-07-15T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. Diaz-Balart, Mario [R-FL-26] (R-FL), 2025-07-15T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. Trahan, Lori [D-MA-3] (D-MA), 2025-07-15T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. Baird, James R. [R-IN-4] (R-IN), 2025-10-10T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. Suozzi, Thomas R. [D-NY-3] (D-NY), 2025-10-10T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. Smucker, Lloyd [R-PA-11] (R-PA), 2025-11-25T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. Ryan, Patrick [D-NY-18] (D-NY), 2025-11-25T00:00:00.000Z - Del. King-Hinds, Kimberlyn [R-MP-At Large] (R-MP), 2025-11-25T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. Titus, Dina [D-NV-1] (D-NV), 2025-11-25T00:00:00.000Z - Del. Moylan, James C. [R-GU-At Large] (R-GU), 2025-12-03T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. Sykes, Emilia Strong [D-OH-13] (D-OH), 2025-12-03T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. De La Cruz, Monica [R-TX-15] (R-TX), 2025-12-15T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. Costa, Jim [D-CA-21] (D-CA), 2025-12-15T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. LaLota, Nick [R-NY-1] (R-NY), 2026-01-21T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. Cuellar, Henry [D-TX-28] (D-TX), 2026-01-21T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. Dunn, Neal P. [R-FL-2] (R-FL), 2026-01-21T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. Houlahan, Chrissy [D-PA-6] (D-PA), 2026-01-21T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. Kiggans, Jennifer A. [R-VA-2] (R-VA), 2026-02-03T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. Ansari, Yassamin [D-AZ-3] (D-AZ), 2026-02-03T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. Nunn, Zachary [R-IA-3] (R-IA), 2026-02-11T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. McCollum, Betty [D-MN-4] (D-MN), 2026-02-11T00:00:00.000Z ## Provisions PRIA read - Green cards for longtime childhood entrants: benefit, high. If enacted, people who came at age 18 or younger and have lived in the U.S. since January 1, 2021 could get a conditional green card, subject to background checks and a fee up to $1,140. You could remove conditions by getting a degree or credential, serving three years in the Uniformed Services, or… - Military service path to a green card: benefit, high. If enacted, people in the Dignity Program could enlist in the U.S. military. Program rules would pause during service. Completing a term of enlistment would satisfy program requirements and could make you eligible to adjust to a green card. - Border Patrol pay raise and parity: benefit, high. This bill would require at least a 14% increase to the minimum GS‑12 pay for Border Patrol agents within 180 days. The Secretary could raise other grades too. Pay, incentives, and overtime would be aligned so Border Patrol pay is at least equal to CBP officers. - Loan relief for humanitarian campus attorneys: benefit, high. This bill would forgive 75% of eligible J.D. student loan debt for attorneys who work full time for four years at a humanitarian campus created by the Act. You would need a J.D. and cannot be in default. The agencies could deliver forgiveness through loan holders or cancellation under higher‑educat… - No Social Security tax on OPT pay: benefit, high. This bill would exclude pay you earn while on Optional Practical Training from Social Security “wages.” That would lower payroll tax withholding on OPT pay in calendar quarters after enactment. Savings would depend on your earnings. - Faster green cards and backlog relief: benefit, high. If enacted, people with approved petitions whose priority dates are over 10 years old could choose to pay $20,000 to speed processing. The Secretary would set aside visas each year from 2026–2035 to clear that 10‑year backlog by 2035. Agencies would appoint a joint immigration coordinator and get F… - More money to build border ports: benefit, high. This bill would fund new and expanded ports of entry. It would provide $2 billion each year from FY2026 through FY2030. Projects would be chosen with input from federal, state, local, and tribal officials and property owners, and expansions would be prioritized before new sites. - Easier waivers to keep families together: benefit, medium. If enacted, DHS could waive some inadmissibility or deportability rules, decline to issue a case, or allow reentry when removal would cause hardship to a U.S. citizen spouse, parent, or child. The bill presumes family separation is a hardship. It would also allow waiving consideration of one misdem… - Earn-and-learn grants and training funds: benefit, medium. This bill would fund competitive grants for industry‑led earn‑and‑learn and apprenticeships. Grants would last 1 to 4 years, require at least a 50% non‑federal match, and have administrative caps (for example, states may reserve up to 5%). Funds could cover training, credentials, mentorship, and su… - Border oversight and local community voices: benefit, medium. If enacted, a 30‑member DHS Border Oversight Commission would advise on enforcement, rights, safety, training, and publish annual public reports. A National Border Security Advisory Committee would also be formed with at least one member from every state and input from people who live or work near… - Higher per-country green card cap: benefit, medium. This bill would raise the per‑country limit on immigrant visas from 7% to 15%. People from high‑demand countries could see more green cards open up. - Limits on immigration enforcement in sensitive places: benefit, medium. This bill would generally bar immigration actions inside or near schools, hospitals, churches, courthouses, and places where children gather, unless leaders approve or there is an emergency. If action must occur, officers would act out of public view, limit time there, and focus only on the person… - Prescreening hubs and family reunification abroad: benefit, medium. If enacted, up to three facilities in the Western Hemisphere would offer asylum prescreening (including virtual), family reunification for unmarried children under 21, job help, and legal pathway assessments. Within 30 days, DHS would start a Dominican Republic program to process parole for vetted… - Freeze SSNs to stop job fraud: benefit, low. This bill would let DHS and Social Security block Social Security numbers that show unusual use in the work‑check system until the rightful owner proves it is theirs. Parents or guardians could suspend a minor’s SSN for work checks, and identity‑fraud victims could suspend their own. These programs… - Warning and penalties for false asylum: cost, high. If enacted, asylum forms would include a warning about the consequences of filing a frivolous claim. If you knowingly file a false application after that warning, you could be permanently barred from asylum‑related benefits. You would still be able to seek withholding of removal or protection under… - Tighter asylum rules and penalties: cost, high. This bill would tell adjudicators to consider statements to immigration officers and government reports when judging credibility. Asylum could end if someone returns to their home country within five years, unless conditions changed or the Secretary grants a waiver. Making materially false statemen… - Tougher border crimes and quick removals: cost, high. This bill would raise penalties for unlawful reentry, up to 30 years for very serious prior crimes and up to 20 years after three removals. It would criminalize attempts and conspiracies to smuggle or help unlawful entry, with up to 10 extra years if a firearm is used. It would also make it a crime… - Broader visa bans for trafficker relatives: cost, medium. If enacted, the drug‑trafficker‑related visa bar would expand to include people who used to be the spouse, son, or daughter of a trafficker. This would make more people inadmissible based on past family ties. - Mandatory work eligibility checks and fines: cost, medium. This bill would set up a national verification system with phone and online checks. Employers would need to verify workers within 3 working days, complete follow‑ups within about 10 working days, and recheck anyone not previously verified under E‑Verify within 6 months. The system would include pri… - Dignity Program: apply or depart: mixed, high. If enacted, eligible noncitizens could get a 7‑year Dignity Status with work and travel authorization, and the 3‑ and 10‑year reentry bars would not apply to participants. People without lawful status would have 12 months after enactment to apply or leave the U.S. Applicants must show presence sinc… - Dignity Program: rules to stay eligible: mixed, high. Participants would generally need to work or study for at least four years, report to DHS every two years, and submit biometrics and pass background checks. You would have to keep qualifying health coverage, support dependents’ basic needs, and pay any assessed federal income tax from the 10 years… - New mandatory work checks for employers: mixed, high. This bill would require all employers to use a federal system to confirm work authorization from job offer through three business days after hire. It would set document‑keeping rules, steps for tentative and final nonconfirmations, and a reverification schedule by employer size (6, 12, 18, or 24 mo… - More border tech, flights, and drones: mixed, high. If enacted, DHS would build and run border barriers, roads, lighting, and advanced sensors to deter and detect illegal activity in high‑traffic areas. Air and Marine Operations would fly at least 95,000 hours a year and, after FAA coordination, operate drones on the southern border 24/7. The Border… - Immigration fund for programs and debt: mixed, high. If enacted, a Treasury fund called the Immigration Infrastructure and Debt Reduction Fund would receive new deposits from taxes and fee transfers to pay for this Act’s programs. After program costs are covered, remaining money would go back to the Treasury to reduce the national debt. Half of an am… - Dignity workers pay 1%, skip payroll tax: mixed, medium. This bill would charge Dignity Program participants a tax equal to 1% of work income each year. At the same time, participants would not owe payroll taxes under sections 3101 and 3102. The money would go to the Immigration Infrastructure and Debt Reduction Fund. - Border campuses and faster asylum reviews: mixed, medium. If enacted, DHS would open at least three humanitarian campuses on the southern border within 12 months. People would get a 72‑hour rest, initial screening within 15 days, and many cases could be decided in about 45 days after screening, with fast appeals and limited court review. USCIS would assig… - Safer child placements and family proof: mixed, medium. If enacted, HHS would run background checks and collect biometrics on all adults in a home before placing an unaccompanied child, and could not share those biometrics with DHS for enforcement. People with serious listed convictions could not receive placement. HHS would call to check on the child a… ## Related bills - 119-hr-2102: Major Richard Star Act - 119-hr-842: Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act - 119-hr-1262: Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act - 119-hr-3514: Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act of 2025 - 119-hr-909: Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act of 2025 - 119-hr-1993: 25th Anniversary of 9/11 Commemorative Coin Act ## Sources - [119-hr-4393 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/4393) ## Related - [119-hr-2102: Major Richard Star Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-2102) - [119-hr-842: Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage A…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-842) - [119-hr-1262: Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1262) - [119-hr-3514: Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3514) - [119-hr-909: Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-909) - [119-hr-1993: 25th Anniversary of 9/11 Commemorative Coin Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1993) - [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-4393 (as of 2026-09-21).