Sen. Mark Kelly (D‑Ariz.) on Wednesday urged lawmakers from both parties to embrace a bipartisan path to immigration reform, arguing that work permits and legal status for long‑term, law‑abiding immigrants would protect American workers, lower costs and shore up critical industries. At the center of Kelly’s remarks was support for work permits and legal status for long‑term immigrants.
Push Congress to pass bipartisan immigration reform granting work permits and legal status to long-term, law‑abiding immigrants.
Occurrences
Arizona Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly is advocating for bipartisan immigration reform and joined a group of lawmakers supporting the Dignity Act on Wednesday.
We can build an immigration system where people like Maria and Annie have a pathway to staying here without the constant fear of detention and deportation.
Evidence
On April 22, 2026, KJZZ reported that Sen. Mark Kelly publicly advocated for bipartisan immigration reform and "joined a group of lawmakers supporting the Dignity Act," saying the bill prioritizes long‑term residents and would create a pathway to legal status for DREAMers; the article notes the bill has bipartisan sponsors but has not advanced to committee or passed.
The DIGNIDAD (Dignity) Act (H.R.4393) text and summary on Congress.gov (introduced July 15, 2025) include provisions establishing a renewable "Dignity Status" that provides lawful status, employment authorization, and travel documents for eligible long‑term residents, while pairing those provisions with enforcement and eligibility requirements.
Arizona Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly is advocating for bipartisan immigration reform and joined a group of lawmakers supporting the Dignity Act on April 22, 2026. The report says the bill has 40 sponsors, has not gone to a committee vote, is awaiting House action, and has not moved since last July.
Today, Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and several House members held a press conference to highlight bipartisan immigration solutions. Kelly said, “We can build an immigration system where people like Maria and Annie have a pathway to staying here without the constant fear of detention and deportation. That kind of progress will take a bipartisan effort, but it is absolutely within reach, and it is absolutely worth fighting for.”
The bill text for H.R.4393 includes a new renewable lawful-status framework, including "Dignity Status," with employment authorization and travel documents for eligible long-term residents, along with eligibility and enforcement provisions.
Congress.gov shows H.R.4393 was introduced on 07/15/2025 and the latest action is introduction; the tracker lists the bill as introduced, with no later committee movement shown on the page.
On April 22, 2026, Senator Mark Kelly and House members held a press conference to highlight bipartisan immigration solutions. Kelly said people like Maria and Annie should have “a pathway to staying here without the constant fear of detention and deportation,” and that such progress requires “a bipartisan effort.”
Congress.gov lists H.R. 4393 as introduced on 07/15/2025 and shows the latest action as referral to House committees on that date, with the tracker status remaining Introduced.
Congress.gov lists H.R.4393's latest action as House referral on 07/15/2025 and the tracker status as Introduced, with the remaining steps still Passed House, Passed Senate, To President, and Became Law.
The all-actions page shows 8 actions for H.R.4393, all dated 07/15/2025: introduction and referrals to House committees. It does not show a committee vote, floor passage, Senate passage, presentment, or enactment.
Sen. Kelly held a press conference with bipartisan House members to highlight immigration solutions and said the U.S. can build an immigration system where people like Maria and Annie have a pathway to staying without fear of detention and deportation, adding that such progress would take a bipartisan effort.
The H.R.4393 bill text states that Dignity status would be valid for 7 years, renewable any number of times, and provide lawful nonimmigrant status, employment authorization, and the ability to reenter the United States; the Secretary would provide proof allowing work in the United States and travel abroad.
Congress.gov lists 39 current cosponsors for H.R.4393, including 20 Democrats and 19 Republicans, with the most recent listed cosponsors dated 02/11/2026.
Assessments
Kelly made a concrete same-term push for bipartisan immigration reform by publicly supporting the DIGNIDAD/Dignity Act, which would grant eligible long-term immigrants lawful status and work authorization. However, the relevant bill remained only introduced/referred in the House and had not passed Congress or become law by the assessed date, so the promised legislative outcome was not delivered. The advocacy merits an effort badge, but not full or partial delivery of the enacted reform.
Sen. Kelly publicly and concretely pushed for bipartisan immigration reform (joined other lawmakers and held a press conference supporting the bipartisan DIGNIDAD Act on April 22, 2026), but the relevant bill (H.R.4393/DIGNIDAD) remained only introduced (first acted on 7/15/2025) with no committee advancement or enactment in the assessed window. He made a visible advocacy effort but did not secure passage, so the promise was not delivered.
Kelly publicly pushed for bipartisan immigration reform and supported the DIGNIDAD Act, which would create lawful status and work authorization for eligible long-term immigrants. However, the supplied congressional evidence shows the bill had only been introduced and had not passed Congress or been enacted. Because the promised outcome was passage of reform granting work permits and legal status, advocacy alone does not deliver the promise, but it does warrant an effort badge.
Mark Kelly publicly backed and advocated for bipartisan immigration reform and joined support for the Dignity Act, which would have created lawful status and work authorization for eligible long-term residents. But the bill had not advanced out of committee or been enacted in the lookback window, so the promised outcome was not delivered despite a concrete legislative push.
Sen. Kelly publicly advocated for and joined other lawmakers in support of the bipartisan DIGNIDAD (Dignity) Act, which would create a renewable status with employment authorization for long-term residents (Congress.gov H.R.4393). However, the bill had not advanced to committee or been enacted as of the latest reporting (Apr 22, 2026), so the promised outcome—getting Congress to pass such reform—was not achieved. Because he made a public, legislative push in support of a bipartisan bill but the legislation did not pass, the promise is judged not delivered despite demonstrable effort.