U.S. Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, a Florida Republican who has advocated for creating a legal pathway for immigrants who have been living and working in the U.S. for years without a criminal record, on Tuesday announced a renewed version of her 2023 Dignity Act, which would provide deportation protections to some migrants and allow them to work in the United States.

Salazar, surrounded by both Republican and Democratic House members, said many migrants had been working in the shadows and are a key component of the U.S. economy.

“The truth is that we still have over 10 million people, or more, working in construction, hospitality, agriculture, dairy, fisheries, slaughterhouses, who are undocumented but who are not criminals. Human beings, invisible to the average American, but without them, we will not have food by this Friday,” Salazar said.

The bipartisan bill, now called the Dignity Act 2025 and co-sponsored by U.S. Democratic Rep. Veronica Escobar of Texas and 20 other Democratic and Republican representatives, would allow undocumented immigrants who have been in the United States for more than five years, have no criminal record and have been paying taxes to apply for legal status.

Migrants who get the status would pay a fine of $7,000 over several years and contribute one percent of their salary to the U.S. Treasury. “You can come out of the shadows and apply,” Salazar said.

The bill prevents migrants from being eligible for any social benefits, and they would need to purchase their own health insurance. They would be able to travel in and out of the United States without any barriers. Salazar said this would allow the undocumented the ability to lead “a dignified life.”

As the Trump administration increases its mass deportation targets, with ICE aiming for 3,000 detentions a day, employers in industries like construction and hospitality have voiced concerns about severe labor shortages. President Donald Trump, in an interview with Fox News earlier in June, mentioned that his administration was looking at temporary status solutions for farm workers.

“We’re going to work it so that some kind of a temporary pass where people pay taxes, where the farmer can have a little control, as opposed to you walk in and take everybody away,” Trump said at the time. The administration had previously backtracked, saying it was barring ICE from conducting raids on farms.

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins contradicted the president’s statement in July when she said in a press conference there would be “no amnesty” for agricultural workers and that all workers in the U.S. illegally would be deported.

Salazar echoed the same amnesty sentiment in the press conference on Tuesday. “Dignity is not amnesty. Dignity does not grant a path to citizenship to anybody. Dignity is the Solomonic way to fix a 40-year problem.”

Salazar’s office did not comment on whether the bill has a Senate companion or if she is currently in talks with any members of the U.S. Senate to sponsor a version of the bill in that chamber.

Salazar urged the president to sign the bill if it passes the House and the Senate.

“You have been called to do this, to fix this 40-year-old mess with just one signature. Yours.”

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