Salazar Drafts Legal Immigration Reform Plan

Florida Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R) is pressing forward with her legal immigration reform plan. After introducing the Dignity Act earlier this year, Rep.  Salazar has now introduced a “discussion draft” to coincide with the legislation.

At the beginning of the year, Rep. Salazar launched an effort that would be “a complete immigration reform bill consisting of 3 core principles: stopping illegal immigration, providing a dignified solution for immigrants living in America, and strengthening the American workforce and economy.”

The legislation was met with criticism from conservatives, but officials did endorse the bill. For example, Neil Bradley, the Executive Vice President and Chief Policy Office of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Ali Noorani, the President & CEO of the National Immigration Forum both praised Elvira Salazar for introducing the legislation.

In a press release from the Florida Republican regarding the draft, Salazar laments that there has been "decades of inaction" when it comes to addressing illegal immigration and that "an overhaul is long overdue."

"a dysfunctional legal immigration system incentivizes illegal immigration, slows economic growth, and harms the American workforce," the press release reads, noting that Salazar's "proposal puts families first, reduces backlogs, improves employment-based visa opportunities, and modernizes student visa processing."

Speaking on the “discussion draft,” Salazar said that “this policy will help Miami and the United States maximize our entrepreneurial spirit and continue leading in job creation, innovation, research, and economic growth.”

The following provisions are outlined in the proposal:

A copy of the proposal can be read here.