GOP Rep. Maria Salazar of Florida said during an interview on Sunday that her new immigration bill will pave the way for illegal aliens to become U.S. citizens.
Salazar’s bill, “The Dignity Act,” seems to be a loophole for amnesty and kicks the can down the road for future lawmakers.
“We give them dignity. At some point in the future, another legislator will write another law to give them paths to citizenship,” she said during her sit-down with WPLG-TV.
“Right now, what we need to do is buy peace for these people,” Salazar continued. “Allow them to stay, to continue working, because they’re needed.”
That’s an odd thing for a Republican to say. Just because someone has evaded law enforcement does not mean they have not broken the law.
Why should they be given special treatment? Because they did not get caught? That’s absurd.
“The economy needs them,” she explained. “They do not have a criminal record. They have not gotten into trouble. They have been here for a long time. They have roots in the country. Let them stay. Don’t give them any type of federal programs, and allow them to pay taxes, help the Social Security fund, and let them stay.”
She asked, “What is wrong with that?”
There is plenty wrong with that. Salazar’s law can be used to allow millions more to pour into the country by eroding the incentives for them to stay at home.
Should Republicans replace Rep. Salazar in 2026?
The changes she is proposing do not even establish real penalties. The bill would seek to build “humanitarian campuses near the southern border to process asylum seekers in federal custody,” expedite asylum processing, and offer only a slap on the wrist for offenders.
If someone has been hiding in the country illegally, dating back to 2021, they would be offered a chance to obtain legal status for seven years.
In exchange, they must pass a background check, pay $1,000 per year — for each of the seven years — give up the right to federal benefits, and agree to have no path to citizenship. Yet the proposal said that once this criteria has been satisfied, these illegals can “continue to stay and work in the United States.”
What about back taxes? What about others who are waiting in line to enter the United States?
She also bragged about having multiple House Democrats supporting her bill and hinted that “someone else” might be paying for the $7,000 penalty that would be issued to these illegals.
“We’re not going to give them a path to citizenship,” she claimed. “They will have to pay 1 percent of their salary to the Treasury, and they have to pay a fine of $7,000. And maybe someone else will pay it for them. Hey, what else do you want?”
You cannot take this woman seriously. She spent most of the interview filibustering simple questions.
President Donald Trump and his supporters would never get behind this. It’s just political theater. She should be primaried immediately for even suggesting this.
When asked if she has contacted House Speaker Mike Johnson or the president about her bill, Salazar replied: “Listen, the president is the one who will sign this bill. It will not be amnesty. It will be dignity. Trump is an intelligent, astute leader. He can break a deal at any time. He’s a construction guy from New York. He knows that those hands are needed.”
The host cut Salazar off to ask if she has a commitment from Trump.
“Just watch what’s going to happen now,” she answered. “The conversation is going to start. I did my job as a legislator. It’s an easy bill to pass. I’m sure that the president will bless it. And he’s going to be for immigration what Reagan was for communism, and Lincoln was for slavery.”
She concluded, “We’re doing what we need to do out of district number 27, which in reality is the only people I need to serve.”
But lawmakers do not merely serve one district. They also serve one nation. Yet from the looks of it, Salazar may not have those interests in mind, and deserves to be fired from the federal government forever.
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