Latest news with #VeronicaEscobar
Fox News
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Bipartisan bill would grant legal status to certain illegal immigrant workers
Reps. Maria Elvira Salazar, R-Fla., and Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, introduced legislation on Tuesday to reform the U.S. immigration system, including offering legal status for certain illegal immigrants to continue working in the country amid President Donald Trump's mass deportation policies. The Dignity Act of 2025 would allow illegal immigrants who have been in the U.S. since before 2021 the opportunity to apply for up to seven years of legal status with work authorization. The immigrants would pay restitution and check in regularly with the Department of Homeland Security, and their legal status could be renewed based on good conduct and restitution. The bill would offer a path to permanent residency, but the legal status afforded to the immigrants would not allow for any federal benefits or a path to U.S. citizenship. "The Dignity Act of 2025 is a revolutionary bill that offers the solution to our immigration crisis: secure the border, stop illegal immigration, and provide an earned opportunity for long-term immigrants to stay here and work," Salazar said in a statement. "No amnesty. No handouts. No citizenship. Just accountability and a path to stability for our economy and our future." The bill would be fully funded through restitution payments and application fees made by immigrants, meaning it will not rely on any taxpayer money. The measure would also aim to end catch-and-release and further bolster security at the Southern Border as well as require employers across the country to use E-Verify, the government system for checking the legal status of workers. It would also expand training, apprenticeships, and education for American workers. The legislation seeks to address the Trump administration's immigration crackdown, which has heavily affected farms and food service providers and included raids targeting migrant workers at local businesses, sparking protests in Los Angeles and elsewhere across the U.S. against the president's mass deportation agenda. A recent raid on two cannabis facilities in Southern California led to a few hundred migrant arrests and clashes between federal immigration agents and protesters. One person died after the raids and others were critically injured. "I have seen firsthand the devastating consequences of our broken immigration system, and as a member of Congress, I take seriously my obligation to propose a solution. Realistic, common-sense compromise is achievable, and is especially important given the urgency of this moment. I consider the Dignity Act of 2025 a critical first step to overhauling this broken system," Escobar said. "Immigrants – especially those who have been in the United States for decades – make up a critical component of our communities and also of the American workforce and economy," she continued. "The vast majority of immigrants are hard-working, law-abiding residents; and, most Americans recognize that it is in our country's best interest to find bipartisan reforms. We can enact legislation that incorporates both humanity and security, and the Dignity Act of 2025 offers a balanced approach that restores dignity to people who have tried to navigate a broken system for far too long." Congress has worked in the past on comprehensive immigration reform, but Salazar and Escobar are optimistic their bill could lead to significant bipartisan support. A bipartisan group of 20 other House members have already signed onto the bill. "In conversations across NY-17, I've heard a lot of frustration, both from employers struggling to fill jobs and families looking to reunite with their loved ones," Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., said. "We must do this by fixing our broken legal immigration system, securing our borders, and creating a fair, earned process for those who are already here and contributing. The Dignity Act honors America's legacy of being a nation of immigrants and that's why I'm proud to support it." The administration has already begun working to provide some protection for certain migrant workers, and Trump said last month he was considering a way for some migrant workers to remain in the U.S. "We're working on it right now. 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. What we're going to do is we're going to do something for farmers, where we can let the farmer sort of be in charge. The farmer knows. He's not going to hire a murderer," Trump said during a June 29 interview on Fox News' "Sunday Morning Futures."
CBS News
13 hours ago
- Politics
- CBS News
Bipartisan lawmakers reup immigration bill amid Trump deportation crackdown
Washington – A bipartisan group of lawmakers on Tuesday reintroduced a comprehensive bill to reform the immigration system and create a potential pathway to legal status for long-term undocumented immigrants. Reps. Maria Elvira Salazar, Republican of Florida, and Veronica Escobar, Democrat of Texas, announced the legislation, known as the DIGNITY Act, at a press conference alongside more than a dozen co-sponsors. "We have 10 million people or more working in construction, hospitality, agriculture, dairy, fisheries, slaughterhouses who are undocumented but are not criminals," Salazar told reporters. "No more need to choose between amnesty or deportation. The Dignity bill is the answer!" The measure would establish a "Dignity Program" to grant legal status, including work and travel authority, to undocumented immigrants who have resided in the United States for at least five years. Eligible applicants would have to pass a criminal background check, pay taxes and submit $7,000 in restitution over the duration of the seven-year program. After completion, they could renew their status indefinitely to stay and work in the U.S. as long as they meet the criteria. Participants would not be eligible for federal benefits or entitlements. "Congress has not passed comprehensive immigration reform in our country in nearly four decades," Escobar said. "This bill addresses long standing, long overdue legislation that will benefit our Dreamers, some of the most important young people in our country who by no choice of their own are here and know no other land than America. This will help American families who are married to an undocumented spouse who have long sought relief through the courts, through law. This will help millions and millions of people who are a critical component of the American economy." The bill makes additional investments to border security and enforcement but would protect sensitive locations from enforcement activities without prior approval, such as schools, hospitals and places of worship. It would also cut visa backlogs and reform the asylum program by expediting processing of asylum seekers with determinations made within 60 days. The bill also includes a $70 billion fund for training American workers. The legislation comes as the Trump administration faces increasing scrutiny over its mass deportation program. Last week a federal judge ordered the administration to temporarily halt indiscriminate immigration raids in Los Angeles and other California counties. U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said "federal agents will continue to enforce the law and abide by the U.S. Constitution." A group of farm workers in California is calling for a three-day national strike beginning Wednesday to protest the ICE raids. They're also demanding immediate citizenship for farm workers and encouraging a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. Organizers hope the effort to boycott produce products and companies that employ undocumented immigrants will put more pressure on the Trump administration. "The immigrant communities across America are terrified," said Rep. Adriano Espaillat, a New York Democrat who chairs the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. "They are really scared out there. Some of the kids are skipping school. Families are being separated. We are fighting together trying to bring consensus, trying to bring dignity and security for families across America."
CBS News
13 hours ago
- Politics
- CBS News
Bipartisan lawmakers reup bill to provide new legal pathways to citizenship for undocumented immigrants
Washington – A bipartisan group of lawmakers on Tuesday reintroduced a comprehensive bill to reform the immigration system and create a potential pathway to citizenship for long-term undocumented immigrants. Reps. Maria Elvira Salazar, Republican of Florida, and Veronica Escobar, Democrat of Texas, announced the legislation, known as the DIGNITY Act, at a press conference alongside more than a dozen co-sponsors. "We have 10 million people or more working in construction, hospitality, agriculture, dairy, fisheries, slaughterhouses who are undocumented but are not criminals," Salazar told reporters. "No more need to choose between amnesty or deportation. The Dignity bill is the answer!" The measure would establish a "Dignity Program" to grant legal status, including work and travel authority, to undocumented immigrants who have resided in the United States for at least five years. Eligible applicants would have to pass a criminal background check, pay taxes and submit $7,000 in restitution over the duration of the seven-year program. After completion, they could renew their status indefinitely to stay and work in the U.S. as long as they meet the criteria. Participants would not be eligible for federal benefits or entitlements. "Congress has not passed comprehensive immigration reform in our country in nearly four decades," Escobar said. "This bill addresses long standing, long overdue legislation that will benefit our Dreamers, some of the most important young people in our country who by no choice of their own are here and know no other land than America. This will help American families who are married to an undocumented spouse who have long sought relief through the courts, through law. This will help millions and millions of people who are a critical component of the American economy." The bill makes additional investments to border security and enforcement but would protect sensitive locations from enforcement activities without prior approval, such as schools, hospitals and places of worship. It would also cut visa backlogs and reform the asylum program by expediting processing of asylum seekers with determinations made within 60 days. The bill also includes a $70 billion fund for training American workers. The legislation comes as the Trump administration faces increasing scrutiny over its mass deportation program. Last week a federal judge ordered the administration to temporarily halt indiscriminate immigration raids in Los Angeles and other California counties. U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said "federal agents will continue to enforce the law and abide by the U.S. Constitution." A group of farm workers in California is calling for a three-day national strike beginning Wednesday to protest the ICE raids. They're also demanding immediate citizenship for farm workers and encouraging a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. Organizers hope the effort to boycott produce products and companies that employ undocumented immigrants will put more pressure on the Trump administration. "The immigrant communities across America are terrified," said Rep. Adriano Espaillat, a New York Democrat who chairs the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. "They are really scared out there. Some of the kids are skipping school. Families are being separated. We are fighting together trying to bring consensus, trying to bring dignity and security for families across America."
NBC News
15 hours ago
- Politics
- NBC News
Bipartisan bill to provide legal status to certain migrants is not ‘amnesty': Republican co-sponsor
Rep. María Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.) joins Meet the Press NOW to discuss the Dignity Act, a new bipartisan legislation she co-sponsored with Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-Texas) that would allow some undocumented immigrants to apply for legal status. Rep. Salazar argues that President Trump knows that undocumented workers are needed in the country and says this is the moment for the president to embrace the legislation. July 15, 2025
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Why do ICE agents wear masks and how it's eroding public confidence in some communities
Videos of heavily armed individuals with covered faces and in plainclothes forcibly apprehending immigrants on the street, at workplaces or following court hearings have become common on social media. Federal authorities say that the masks are needed to protect agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal agencies from being doxed. But others argue the use of masks has created confusion and chaos in some communities. Immigration: 'It is a setup': ICE arrests migrants after their hearings at El Paso federal courthouse "My concern with masks and law enforcement that don't have clear identifier is that it does not make a community safer," U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-El Paso, said. "It creates conditions where bad actors can mimic the use of force and the taking of people off the street. That is very risky behavior for communities." ICE agents with masked faces and in street clothes have been filmed pointing guns at citizens in California as they carryout arrests of both U.S. citizens and immigrants. The anonymous masked arrests and disappearance of migrants has shattered the already fragile confidence in law enforcement in communities across the country and broken constitutional rights, said Michael Sierra-Arévalo, a sociologist and author of the book "The Danger Imperative: Violence, Death, and the Soul of Policing." "We have a tradition that we have the ability legally to hold the state accountable for when the state, whether it be police officers or state official, violates our constitutionally protected rights," Sierra-Arévalo said. "Obscuring one's face, refusing to identify oneself, covering or removing one's name badge as an officer, an agent of the state, prevents those mechanisms of accountability from working. And fundamentally, it undermines the ability for the public to trust and not only it's police but it's government." More: DHS places new limitations on congressional oversight, as concern grows over ICE facilities Federal agents must identify themselves and their agencies, according to laws governing immigration enforcement. The New York City Bar Association claims the use of masks violates rules, pointing to Title 8 of the U.S. Code, which states that at "the time of the arrest, the designated immigration officer shall, as soon as it is practical and safe to do so ... identify himself or herself as an immigration officer who is authorized to make the arrest." More: "This is worrying": Remittance tax would take money needed to support migrant families "The decision to begin concealing the faces of law enforcement agents who are carrying out arrests and detentions appears to be an effort to evade accountability," the association said. The lack of clear identifiers and the aggressive actions by federal agents raise concerns over the possibility of escalations and violence as fear takes hold in communities. "It's a disaster waiting to happen," Sierra-Arévalo said. The Trump administration has shifted federal agents to focus on immigration enforcement, deploying agents from the ICE, the Department of Homeland Security's investigative unit alongside agents from the U.S. Border Patrol and the FBI. Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin posted on the social media X that ICE agents have faced a "500% increase in assaults." 'When our heroic law enforcement officers conduct operations, they clearly identify themselves as police while wearing masks to protect themselves from being targeted by known and suspected terrorist sympathizers," a DHS spokesperson said when asked about the use of face masks. More: El Paso money service providers join lawsuit against new U.S. Treasury Department order The anonymous DHS spokesperson went on to criticize the press for focusing on the use of masks. They did not respond to concerns over the public confidence in federal agents. El Paso County leaders condemned the language of "terrorism" being applied to immigration enforcement. "This administration purposely conflates people who are in this country without authorization with immigrants in general, and then conflates immigrants with criminals and terrorists," El Paso County Commissioner David Stout said. "This rhetorical sleight of hand constitutes a big lie — that immigrants, authorized or not, pose the type of danger that warrants turning our country and our values and our constitutional protections inside out." The state of California is pursuing legislation that would make it a misdemeanor for local, state and federal law enforcement officers to cover the face. It also would require officers to wear identification at all times. The "No Secret Police Act" was proposed by state Sen. Jesse Arreguín, D-Berkeley and Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco on June 16. 'The recent federal operations in California have created an environment of profound terror," Wiener said in a statement. "If we want the public to trust law enforcement, we cannot allow them to behave like secret police in an authoritarian state." Borderland: 'Mexico embraces you' shelter in Juárez stands ready, but few migrants arrive to fill it El Paso County adopted a resolution to call on the federal government to respect constitutional norms and that prohibits the use of masks. The resolution follows other Texas counties, including Hayes and Travis counties, which have adopted similar declarations. "I would consider masked agents with guns, unmarked vehicles, and paramilitary gear roaming neighborhoods and grabbing people from workplaces, homes, courts and even schools and churches to be contrary to basic American freedom," Stout said. Jeff Abbott covers the border for the El Paso Times and can be reached at:jdabbott@ @palabrasdeabajo on Twitter or @ on Bluesky. This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: ICE agents are wearing masks in raids, experts raise concerns
