FL GOP lawmaker introduces sweeping immigration bill with 'dignified' pathway.

Florida Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar unveiled a new immigration bill Tuesday that would give undocumented immigrants a pathway to citizenship while requiring them to pay for border security and American worker retraining programs.

Salazar, a freshman GOP congresswoman from Miami, said "The Dignity Act" would end illegal immigration once and for all by securing the border and would allow millions of undocumented immigrants to come out of the shadows in a dignified way to redemption.

"I'm a brown girl from the hood. I can do this because I do know my people and what they want and what my people want is dignity," Salazar said Tuesday in a call with reporters announcing her major legislation. "They love the promised land and … this is the right thing to do for them and for the country."

Salazar said her bill represents the first time a freshman member has proposed comprehensive immigration reforms on her own and without the help of a committee. She issued a challenge to immigration hardliners who have rejected any forms of reform under the guise of "amnesty" by saying "amnesty is what we have now."

"We have 11 million plus people using our roads, our schools, our hospitals for free," Salazar said. "There is no accountability. Living for free with no consequences is a real amnesty."

Under her legislation, so-called Dreamers who were brought to the United States illegally as children would have immediate legal status and a pathway to citizenship. The millions of other undocumented immigrants currently in the United States would be allowed to enroll in the "dignity" program that offers a 10-year temporary legal status, where they must pay $1,000 a year, pass a criminal background check and be barred from accessing federal benefits and entitlement programs.

Those funds – estimated to bring in $90 billion over the decade if 9 million people are enrolled-- would be earmarked for U.S. worker job skills and retraining programs in an effort to address concerns that immigrants are displacing American workers.

The immigrants would also have to pay 2% of the paychecks to a new Immigration Infrastructure Fund that would be used to secure the southern border, with new border construction barriers, added technology and employing an additional 3,000 border agents.

The 2% levy on immigrant wages is estimated to bring in an estimated $45 billion to $90 billion dollars, assuming wages would range from an average of $25,000 to $50,000.

The legislation also would mandate E-verify nationwide to curb the employment of illegal workers, create tougher penalties for smugglers, create new processing centers at the border to hold immigrants while their cases are pending while the increasing the number of immigration judges and attorneys to expedite the backlog.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/florida-g...200234741.html

A $1000 a year lol that's absurd

Double it, put them a a starting fine. Weed out those not worthy of being here.

$2,000 a year and $2,000 fine would be alright to skip the line.

“…barred from accessing federal benefits and entitlement programs.” So unable to collect retirement from a system one paid into ? Seems like a raw deal. Additional 2 percent tax on income plus 10 grand. Lol, seems awfully lot to stay on this sinking ship (Especially if you are a high income earner). No thanks, I’ll take this cash with me and establish tax residency in a low tax country and make out much better.

I'm down to pay 1000 a year for 10 years in exchange for a gc, but no to extra fees from our paychecks

Maria Elvira Salazar is republican?? Does that mean anything by any chance???

I think its fair... 1k a year is not a lot and you are only barred from using federal benefits until you become a resident. If you do not have any health issues or major family problem 1k a year should not be a problem. Plus I believe this make Daca and TPS immediate for conditional permanent residency. The 10 year path is for all other undocumented people.

Thats not alot... we already pay $500 every two years indefinitely.

Dreamers will be eligible for Conditional GC all other undocumented will have to follow the path