DIGNIDAD Act

Physical and Technological Infrastructure

The DIGNIDAD Act authorizes $10 billion specifically for port of entry infrastructure between fiscal years 2026 and 2030, allotting $2 billion annually for expansion of existing facilities.^[8] The legislation emphasizes the construction of inspection lanes to facilitate free trade while preventing the smuggling of illicit goods.

Technological requirements under the Act are extensive, mandating the deployment of:

• Integrated surveillance systems, including sensors, drones, and high-tower surveillance.  
• Non-intrusive inspection (NII) operations utilizing X-ray and gamma-ray technology at all land ports of entry.  
• A biometric exit data system at all air, land, and sea ports within five years of enactment.  
• Secure communication technology and license plate readers across the border environment.  

Section 1112 of the 2025 Act further stipulates that Air and Marine Operations must carry out no fewer than 95,000 annual flight hours and operate unmanned aerial systems on the border 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.^[9]

Personnel and Law Enforcement Support

To address critical staffing shortages, the bill mandates a minimum of 22,478 Border Patrol agents and 27,725 Office of Field Operations (OFO) officers.^[10] The Act authorizes recruitment and retention bonuses, particularly for personnel assigned to remote locations, and increases the minimum pay for GS-12 agents by at least 14 percent.^[11]

A significant innovation in the legislation is the codification of "Border Patrol Processing Coordinator" positions. The bill authorizes 1,200 non-law enforcement, civilian positions initially. Additionally, the Act authorizes a five-year pilot program for body-worn cameras for both Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.

Criminal Enforcement and Public Safety

The DIGNIDAD Act introduces new criminal penalties designed to dismantle the operational capacity of drug cartels.^{[12][failed verification]} Section 1301 criminalizes "illicit spotting,” the practice among cartel members of transmitting the location of law enforcement to facilitate illegal border crossings. The Act makes this activity punishable by up to 10 years in prison. The bill also increases the maximum penalty for illegal reentry from two years to 10 years for first-time offenders, and up to 20 years for those with prior criminal records or multiple removals.  

Humanitarian Campuses

The Act proposes an overhaul of the U.S. asylum system, creating the establishment of “Humanitarian Campuses” at the border. These campuses will assist in asylum claims. Claimants get a 72 hour rest period, before their mandatory asylum interview. This process consists of a three-step program of an initial screening, final determination and a review of asylum cases. The migrants will have access to medical staff, social workers, legal orientation programs, and NGOs on these campuses. Further, loan forgiveness for attorneys who work at HCs for at least four years is provided in the bill.^[13]

The Dignity Program

The Dignity Program is a seven-year deferred action initiative for aliens who have been continually present in the U.S. since at least December 31, 2020. Participation is contingent upon several requirements. These include voluntary registration, passing an FBI background check, a $7,000 restitution, payback of outstanding taxes and remaining employed or attending an institution of higher learning.

During the seven-year program, participants are granted work authorization and travel permission outside the U.S. Dignity participants are ineligible for federal means-tested benefits and must pay an additional 1 percent "Immigration Infrastructure Levy" on their income.  

Dignity Status

Upon successful completion of the seven-year Dignity Program, individuals transition to "Dignity Status". This is a renewable, indefinitely valid non-immigrant status that offers protection from deportation, permanent work authorization and indefinite renewability contingent upon good status. There is no direct path to US citizenship with Dignity status. “Dreamers” receive conditional permanent resident status for 10 years and can adjust to lawful permanent resident status by fulfilling a number of requirements, which can include military service.  

Visa Backlog Elimination

The Act seeks to clear the decade-long visa backlogs that separate families and hinder business operations. Section 3201 mandates that the legal visa backlog be reduced to a maximum of 10 years by 2035. To do this, the Act stops spouses and children from counting against annual employment-based visa caps. Individuals who have been in the visa backlog are immediately granted a Green Card upon payment of a $20,000 fee. The Act would also likely substantially increase immigration from certain high-immigration countries, since it would also lift the one-country Green Card cap from 7 to 15 percent.

High-skill Immigration increase

The Act would allow students to pursue LPR without having to prove they intend to depart the U.S. after graduation. Further, graduates with a PhD in STEM are granted an O-1 visa. To offset this increase, the Act would require employers to pay FICA taxes for all international students on OPT. The Act also permits DHS to waive inadmissibility for spouses and children of U.S. citizens.