Salazar says Trump would support the Dignity Act

Republican Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar said at an October 15 event in Miami that Donald Trump would support immigration reform allowing certain undocumented immigrants to remain and work legally in the United States. The initiative she promotes, known as the Dignity Act, has not yet been put to a vote in Congress and has no official White House endorsement. Salazar’s statement expresses her expectation of Trump’s support, not approval of a measure.

The lawmaker, who represents Florida’s 27th District, promotes the bill as a way to address the situation of immigrants without legal status. The proposal targets people in certain economic sectors and would allow them to remain in the country with work authorization. Salazar has said there is a willingness to pursue a solution to a problem she views as unresolved for decades. The plan remains a pending initiative, not a program in effect.

Conditions described for possible participants include a background check, compliance with the law and payment of back taxes. The proposal also includes a $7,000 restitution payment during the program period. Those requirements are part of the plan for possible regularization and are not current obligations for the people the initiative would cover.

The design also includes periodic check-ins with the Department of Homeland Security while participating in the program. The initiative therefore contemplates both financial obligations and supervision for people who might qualify. Those elements depend on the proposal advancing through the legislative process: it has not yet been voted on in Congress. The congresswoman’s statement about Trump does not change that status or amount to institutional White House support.

Salazar made her remarks in Miami less than three weeks before the legislative elections scheduled for November 3. The Republican representative, who is seeking reelection, has defended the Dignity Act as a response to the situation of undocumented immigrants. Her proposal combines the possibility of lawful residence and employment with financial conditions and oversight while the initiative awaits debate and a vote in Congress.