986 - Dignity Status for illegal immigrants—yes or no?
Florida Congresswoman Maria Salazar (Republican) has proposed what she calls Dignity Status legislation drafted to address those illegal immigrants who have been living in the United States for long periods of time, unrelated to the recent invasion of unvetted migrants flooding into the country under the Globalist agenda.
Not simply a temporary measure to deal with America's current crisis, the purpose of the Dignity legislation is to codify border security and enforcement on a long-term permanent basis, thus preventing subsequent possible political reversals in the future. This would create an enforceable immigration law and citizenship policy that would be equally applicable to all immigrants in the future.
Significantly, the Dignity legislation does not offer amnesty to those subject to it. Amnesty opens a path to citizenship, which would not be accorded to this group of immigrants. What the legislation does offer is a status allowing such immigrants to remain and live in the country without fear of being deported.
Another factor in the consideration of such legislation is the American economy itself, which has some surprising shortcomings and complexities that would be negatively impacted in the absence of these long-term migrants.
And of course, there's the basic consideration of fairness and justice - not just to the affected immigrants, but to the many American citizens who have given these immigrants jobs and/or established personal and family roots with them. The circumstances surrounding this group is not as black-and-white as those who entered the country under the Biden administration. Many Americans are correctly perceiving a fundamental injustice in treating otherwise law-abiding immigrants the same as those who have criminal records or who are disturbing the peace.
Should Dignity Status legislation be applied to long-time illegal immigrants who otherwise have no criminal records and have maintained jobs and raised their families in America? Given the circumstances, it's an option that may prove to be Just Right in dealing with the overwhelming challenges facing the Trump administration's efforts to establish and enforce border security.