The Dignity Act of 2025

What Is the Dignity Act of 2025?

1. Border Security for America Act
2. Dignity & American Promise
3. American Prosperity & Competitiveness

Border Security for America Act

The Border Security for America Act would enable the use of technology, roads, and lighting to secure the entire border. The government would use existing funds to construct the necessary physical barriers and deploy technology at U.S. borders. 

According to the National Immigration Forum’s summary, this bill would grant the Department of Homeland Security the permission to waive the legal requirements that the Secretary deems necessary to ensure the following: design, construction, and installation. $46.5 billion of funds were approved by Congress to carry out this plan in its entirety. 

Revisions to the Asylum System

First, an initial screening would be conducted by the staff at the humanitarian campuses for these migrants. These screenings would include the following: 

• Criminal background checks
• Analysis of biometric data
• Identity verification
• Medical assessments
• Human trafficking screenings for victims
• Initial credible fear interview

Individuals who pass the initial screening will undergo a second screening process, where trained asylum officers will evaluate their application and issue a final decision. Furthermore, this decision will be either to deny, approve, or refer complex/uncertain cases to an immigration judge. 

Mandatory Employment Verification

A mandatory employment verification would be implemented for new hires to establish that they are legally authorized to work. The bill would require employers to prove and ensure that the hired employee is not an undocumented immigrant. The Department of Homeland Security would administer the Employment Eligibility Verification System (EEVS) to confirm workers’ eligibility for employment. 

A gradual phase-in would be implemented and become mandatory for employers, occurring over different timeframes. These timeframes would include the following: 

• 10,000 or more employees (6 months)
• 500 to 10,000 employees (12 months)
• 20 to 500 employees (18 months)
• 1 to 20 employees (24 months)

Rules on Criminal Conduct

Dream Act and Dignity Program

The Dream Act is a proposed piece of legislation that would allow undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children to obtain legal status. Dreamers, alongside DACA recipients, could become eligible for a “conditional permanent resident” status, which would ultimately protect them from deportation. Dreamers and DACA individuals could achieve one of the following to remove the conditional basis of their status, which would allow them to become a lawful permanent resident: 

• Earn a college degree/technical credential
• Serve in the U.S. military for 3+ years
• Work for 4+ years with valid work authorization for at least 75 percent of the time

The Dignity Program would allow undocumented immigrants to earn legal status. Furthermore, it would also grant employment and travel authorization to these immigrants. In order for this to happen, immigrants would have to do the following: 

• Pass a criminal background check
• Pay back any taxes owed
• Pay restitution ($7,000)

Keeping Families Together

A component of the American Families United Act is included within this bill to help individuals understand that the separation of one’s family results in significant stress and various struggles. The “family purposes” visa creates a space for (LPRs) to travel to the United States for the following occasions: 

• Weddings
• Birthdays
• Family reunions
• Funerals

Equity for Lawful Immigrants

To maintain fairness for lawful immigrants the bill proposes: 

• Elimination of backlogs: reduced to a maximum of ten years
• Per-county caps: raises the green card per-country cap (7% to 15%)
• Documented dreamers: a component of the America’s Children Act

Visas and Employment

This bill includes key elements regarding both visas and employment:

• Firstly, the employment-based visas (derivatives) would limit the number of children and spouses exempt from the annual cap.
• F-1 Visas would serve as dual-intent visas, suited for international students. These students would not have to explain why they need to return to their country of origin.
• Finally, the bill would reserve O-Visas for those with high-level skills (i.e., students in STEM).

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