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.
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.
Assessments
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.