Dignity for Immigrants while Guarding our Nation to Ignite and Deliver the American Dream Act of 2023 or as the DIGNIDAD (Dignity) Act of 2023
This bill addresses immigration-related issues, such as increasing hiring for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) personnel and providing removal deferral for eligible non-U.S. nationals (aliens under federal law).
For example, the bill
- requires the hiring of additional CBP personnel and authorizes recruitment, relocation, and retention bonuses for CBP personnel;
- provides funding for border infrastructure and equipment;
- makes it a crime to transmit the location of law enforcement with the intent to violate immigration laws or certain other federal laws;
- requires employers to verify the immigration status of individuals using an electronic employment eligibility confirmation system modeled after the E-Verify system;
- requires unaccompanied alien children to be processed and reunited with U.S.-based sponsors in accordance with the Flores settlement, which established policies pertaining to the treatment of minors without lawful immigration status;
- requires the Department of State to implement a strategy to address the key factors contributing to individuals from Central America traveling to the United States;
- provides a path to permanent resident status to eligible individuals without lawful immigration status who entered the United States as minors (commonly referred to as Dreamers);
- establishes the Dignity Program, which defers the removal of eligible individuals without lawful immigration status who meet various requirements, including paying into a fund to provide training to U.S. workers; and
- establishes the Redemption Program, which provides a path to permanent resident status to individuals who complete the Dignity Program and meet various requirements, including making additional payments into the U.S. worker fund.
The bill focuses on border security measures, including the strengthening of barriers along the southern border and the implementation of an integrated surveillance system at land ports of entry.
It requires the Department of Homeland Security to ensure a specific number of annual flight hours for Air and Marine Operations of CBP, and the operation of unmanned aircraft systems 24 hours per day and 7 days per week on the southern border.
The bill includes provisions for border security technology program management, the establishment of a National Border Security Advisory Committee, and the eradication of specific plants along the border.
There are measures proposed to improve employment verification, including the use of advanced analytics software for fraud detection, and to establish a rigorous process for employment verification and visa security to screen applications against relevant databases.
Provisions are made for unlawful hindering of immigration, border, and customs controls, and the amendments emphasize the removal of the conditional basis of permanent resident status for certain eligible aliens, such as long-term residents who entered the US as children.
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