Bipartisan duo introduces bill to give some migrant workers protected status amid Trump's crackdown

A bipartisan duo is teaming up in the House to introduce a bill that would provide legal status for certain undocumented immigrants amid President Donald Trump’s broader mass deportation efforts.

WASHINGTON — A bipartisan duo is teaming up in the House to introduce a bill that would provide legal status for certain undocumented immigrants amid President Donald Trump’s broader mass deportation efforts.

Under the legislation from Reps. Maria Elvira Salazar, R-Fla., and Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, called the Dignity Act of 2025, undocumented immigrants who have been in the United States since before 2021 would be able to apply for up to seven years of legal status with work authorization. They would have to pay restitution and check in regularly with the Department of Homeland Security, and the legal status would not allow for any federal benefits or a path to citizenship.

The provision is specifically aimed at addressing the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, which has heavily affected farms and food service providers.

The bill would also seek to beef up security measures at the border and require employers nationwide to use E-Verify, the government system for checking whether workers are in the country legally.

Members of Congress have been working for decades on a comprehensive immigration solution. Salazar said she's hopeful that because her proposal with Escobar does not include amnesty or a path to citizenship, it will open the door to a bipartisan compromise.