Bipartisan immigration bill revives reform push amid rising enforcement

A new immigration bill on Capitol Hill could give undocumented migrants the right to live

and work legally in the U.S., but not a direct path to citizenship

It's called the Dignity Act of 2025, a bipartisan plan from Republican Maria Elvira Salazar of Florida

and Democrat Veronica Escobar of Texas. The bill would let immigrants who have been in the U.S. since before 2021

apply for legal status and work permits for up to seven years

The legislation comes with restrictions, though. They'd have to pay restitution, check in with Homeland Security, and agree to no federal benefits

The bill also speeds up a pathway for Dreamers, immigrants who came to the U.S. as children, to gain permanent citizenship

It goes beyond status. It focuses on border security, fewer risks for asylum seekers, and stricter rules for employers

All businesses would have to use E to check if someone is allowed to work in the U And while this bill tries to strike a balance immigration enforcement continues to heat up In a new policy this month ICE said migrants who came to the U illegally won get a bond hearing They stay detained until their

cases are decided, which could take months or even years. Despite the politics, polling shows

public opinion is shifting. A Gallup survey found 79 percent of Americans think immigration

is good for the country. Support for cutting immigration dropped from 55 to 30 percent in just

one year. It should be noted that the change in opinion didn't happen in a vacuum. The total count

of immigrants illegally entering the U.S. has dropped significantly since the last summer of

former President Joe Biden's final year in office. Still, passing any immigration bill isn't easy

Congress hasn't overhauled immigration law since 1996, and multiple reform attempts have failed

since then. Read the full story right now on the Straight Arrow News mobile app or online at

SAN.com. For Straight Arrow News, I'm Kaylee Carey