With bipartisan momentum building—40 cosponsors (20R/20D) support work permits for undocumented immigrants and other measures contained in the Dignity Act—leaders gathered to launch nationwide advocacy effort
Washington, D.C. – The American Business Immigration Coalition Action (ABIC Action), the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference (NHCLC), American Families United Action (AFU Action), and other organizations convened today for a press conference in support of the Dignity Act. The event marked the launch of a national “Dignity Tour” urging Congress to pass the legislation.
The Dignity Act provides a pragmatic and balanced immigration solution that secures the workforce, grows and protects the economy, lowers costs for American families and invests $70 billion in U.S. workers.
U.S. Representatives Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL-27), Veronica Escobar (D-TX-16), Mike Kelly (R-PA-16), Rep. Monica de la Cruz (R-TX-15), and Susie Lee (D-NV-3) joined business, faith, and community leaders to launch the national Dignity Tour. More than 75 endorsing organizations will convene on-the-ground events across the country in support of the legislation, beginning tonight in Reading, Pennsylvania. Events are being scheduled in Arizona, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Texas, and other key regions to build support for the Dignity Act.
The Dignity Act has drawn bipartisan support from 40 cosponsors, and presents a rare opportunity to achieve what previous administrations and Congresses have not: durable, bipartisan immigration solutions that reflect both our workforce needs and American values.
You can view a recording of the press conference here.
Rep. Maria Salazar (R-FL-27)
“You know, this is the true meaning of bipartisanship—that someone from Miami, a conservative Republican, can be dealing in love and great cooperation and solidarity with someone who is from Texas, a Mexican-American, and not necessarily conservative. But that makes it even more special because we were able to work together in creating something that is not perfect either for the Republicans or for the Democrats, but at least it’s a solution to the problems that we have in this country with immigration […] So, that is why we are here today, and I’m delighted that this coalition has been formed by business sectors, by pastors, by families, by community leaders—people that understand that we need to fix the laws and that we need to give a solution to those people who have been here in this country for more than 5 years, who do not have a criminal record, and who have been contributing for decades to the economy of this country […] There are two entities that can make this happen: God the Father and Donald Trump. And we in Congress, we are in the middle.”
Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-TX-16)
“We talk about our bill being a bipartisan bill. But, this bill really is more than that. This is an economic bill. This is a national security bill. This is a practical bill. And for decades, Congress has punted on this issue. For decades, members of Congress, frankly on both sides of the aisle, have found excuses and reasons not to pass bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform. There’s no more excuses. There’s no more reason why Congress should not aggressively and urgently move forward with the Dignity Act. We are seeing every facet of our national economy begging for immigration reform. We see the poll numbers from Republicans and from Democrats. Above 75% of Americans on each side of the aisle are telling Congress, “do your job and get this done.” We are seeing our birth rate decline. And as some of us, not all of us, get older, but as some of us get older and as we think about the future, we need new generations of people to fill the gap in our workforce and ensure that we have the most competitive economy in the world. That’s not going to happen on its own. That will only happen if Congress gets together and passes the Dignity Act.”
Rep. Susie Lee (D-NV-3)
“Our immigration system is broken. It’s been broken for almost four decades. And what that means is families have lived without dignity. And we are called upon in Congress to solve problems. And many of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have said, “Listen, we’ll deal with immigration reform once we secure our border.” And I think we all can agree that under this president and with this Congress, our border has been more secure than it’s ever been. And so, now it is the time to put that pathway to work and provide families with a pathway and people with a pathway. I’m talking about people who have not committed crimes, who have been here working and contributing to our economy.”
Rep. Monica de la Cruz (R-TX-15)
“We all see that the immigration system is broken. There’s no denying that, no matter what side of the aisle that you stand on. And that’s why I’m proud to stand here today with these coalitions and associations to say, under President Trump, we have the most secure border. And we have law enforcement agents that are finally able to do their job and enforce the border. But we also have a president who is bold, bold to look at immigration in a new way, bold to do things that our country has not seen in decades. And right now, right now today, is the day for common-sense solutions that build the bridge and the gap that we see in our labor force, that restore the opportunity for the American dream with dignity.”
Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA-16)
“This is not a Democrat issue. This is not a Republican issue. It’s not red or blue. It’s red, white, and blue in a nation that has always has always gone forward because of people who came here from some place else to make this country great. We got to make it great again. If we’re going to make it great again, and I’ve talked to the president about this, this is an incredible opportunity for us to move forward.”
Michael Deheeger, Campaign Director, American Business Immigration Coalition Action
“Today, ABIC Action, the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, American Families United, the Presidents’ Alliance in Higher Education and Immigration, the Hispanic Contractors Association, and more than 75 other business, faith, and community organizations from across the country are proud to launch the Dignity Tour, calling on Congress to pass and President Trump to sign the bipartisan Dignity Act of 2025. […] The Dignity Act provides a pragmatic, balanced solution to our immigration, workforce, and affordability challenges. It stabilizes communities, grows the economy, lowers costs for American families, and invests $70 billion in US workers. In events from Pennsylvania to Arizona, from Texas to Florida, this coalition will be engaging lawmakers in districts across the country, urging them to join 40 of their bipartisan colleagues as co-sponsors.”
Ashley DeAzevedo, Executive Director, American Families United Action (AFU Action)
“Behind me stands a coalition that Washington said could never exist. Republicans and Democrats, farmers and faith leaders, CEOs and families. All of them united behind one bill, the Dignity Act. President Trump, you have built your legacy on doing what Washington said was impossible. So, add this one to the list. Since the Clinton administration created this nightmare over 30 years ago for the spouses of US citizens, we have been locked out. These are not dangerous people. They’re not criminals. They are the families of American citizens, and no president has had the courage to fix the problem.”
Pastor Abraham Hernandez, Executive Director, National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference (NHCLC)
“I stand here before you speaking on behalf of tens of thousands of Hispanic evangelical churches here in this country who believe that this is the time for us to pass the Dignity Act. We’ve gathered here because we recognize there have been times in our country when fear has gripped the hearts of its residents, and we have always responded with compassion. We, the Hispanic evangelical church, believe that America is at a crossroads, an inflection point where we can resolve the immigration crisis that’s hung over our head for four decades. One which we consider is a dark cloud of uncertainty over millions of family members and homes of hardworking immigrants who come here for a better life. We support Congresswoman Salazar and the bipartisan congressional members who stand beside her with boldness. We want to press the passage of this bill, of the Dignity Act, because it represents exactly that, and we want to be loud and clear: Dignity for our laws, dignity for our borders, for our families, and our future.”
Sergio A. Barajas, Executive Director, National Hispanic Construction Alliance
“On behalf of the folks that represent the 3.7 million people in the construction industry, this bill helps to secure the workforce. We’ve secured the border. It’s time to secure the workforce. Even more importantly, it’s time to grow the construction workforce. On the Hill, we hear conversations around creating more housing so that we can have greater accessibility to housing for all, not just Hispanics, not just people of color, but for all. And so, part of that means we have to secure the workforce.”
Diego Sanchez Vice President of the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration
“In higher ed, we see every day the contributions that Dreamers and international students make to our campuses and to this country. They enrich our classrooms, strengthen our communities, fuel research and innovation, and help build the talent pipeline that our economy needs. That is why practical, bipartisan immigration reform matters. The Dignity Act includes important steps toward providing stability for Dreamers and improving legal immigration pathways in ways that better reflect our country’s values and interests. At a time when so much feels polarized, efforts like this show that there’s still room for thoughtful, forward-looking solutions.”