On Tuesday, a group of Republicans joined Democrats to reintroduce the DIGNITY Act, which would provide mass amnesty to illegal aliens living in the country.
“The legislation acknowledges a key truth: most undocumented individuals are not seeking citizenship at all costs, but rather the dignity of living and working legally, contributing to society, paying taxes, being safe from deportation, and traveling to see family during the holidays,” a press release from Florida Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, a so-called Republican, states.
By the bill’s own admission, “most” illegal aliens don’t want to become Americans in any real sense. They want the benefits of living here without the responsibilities of citizenship. They want access to our job market, our economy, public services, schools, hospitals — but none of the civic ties, assimilation or actual loyalty that citizens are expected to uphold, which is precisely the problem with mass migration.
Mass migration — whether legal or illegal — treats America not as a nation with a specific culture, language, heritage and people to be protected, but merely as a global economic opportunity zone for anyone who wants to cash in. There’s no concern for the cultural, social, or economic impacts on the communities forced to absorb this endless influx of illegal aliens. Which is precisely why Salazar’s statement — that “most” illegal immigrants don’t even seek citizenship — is so troubling.
Citizenship is a covenant that requires civic responsibility and obligations, which is what tethers the American people to one another and creates a sense of belonging that is worth fighting for. If citizenship is reduced to being merely an option rather than a requirement for participation and reaping the privileges of our republic, then civic responsibility will also erode. Citizenship binds people together through shared duties, loyalties and sacrifices. To live indefinitely in legal twilight — enjoying the protections, privileges, and prosperity of America without accepting the obligations of citizenship — is to hollow out the very meaning of belonging to a nation and reduces the nation down to a global marketplace.
Under Salazar’s un-American proposal, the nation itself will dissolve because people are merely inhabitants of a land rather than citizens of a particular nation that requires some responsibilities and obligations.
This is not to suggest, of course, that Salazar’s proposal should place illegal aliens on a path to citizenship. Such a move would only compound the first offense, that is, giving illegal aliens legal status. Illegal aliens violated our laws when they entered and remained in the country unlawfully. The correct response to widespread lawbreaking is not to rewrite our statutes to accommodate the offenders but to double down on standing law.
Further, one basic requirement to enter the social compact is following our already established laws. Those who illegally entered and remained are people who have demonstrated they are unfit for the responsibilities of being part of the social compact. Citizenship is grounded in mutual obligation and sacrifice, as well as respect for the norms and institutions of our republic. To disregard these laws is to disqualify oneself from ever joining the compact.
Brianna Lyman is an elections correspondent at The Federalist. Brianna graduated from Fordham University with a degree in International Political Economy. Her work has been featured on Newsmax, Fox News, Fox Business and RealClearPolitics. Follow Brianna on X: @briannalyman2
