Eighteen months ago, during the awful days of President Autopen’s administration and in a moment of weakness for certain Republicans, I wrote about the last bad border bargain, concluding, “The solution is right in front of us: just properly enforce the existing laws we have. If Joe Biden had done this from the start, he would have a better approval rating than his paltry 32% regarding his handling of the border.”

Enter Donald Trump and aggressive enforcement of the law, and — wouldn’t you know it — the problem has practically vanished!

Unfortunately, we still have some Chamber of Commerce-type Republicans who still believe we need a nearly endless supply of low-skilled laborers who barely assimilate but work cheaply. That’s why we have the newest version of a bad border deal, this time sponsored by a bipartisan pair of representatives: Republican Maria Elvira Salazar and Democrat Veronica Escobar, from Florida and Texas, respectively.

They’re part of a bipartisan group of House members backing what’s being called the Dignity Act, which dangles enhanced border security and mandatory E-Verify in exchange for what’s being termed as “asylum reform” along with a path to permanent legal status for so-called Dreamers. In addition, the bill touts “a 7-year earned legal status program allowing undocumented immigrants to live and work legally, with renewable status based on good conduct and restitution.” Adding workforce training and updated visa categories “to align with 21st century economic needs” is actually a step backward.

In her release, Salazar promises, “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. At the same time, the Dignity Act makes clear that this will be the final fix, because real border security and enforcement must be in place to prevent future crises.”

Sorry, but there is no such thing as a “final fix” until those who shouldn’t be here aren’t. Plus, we have a good way to keep people out until they seek permission to enter.

But there is an alternative. Congressman Jim Jordan of Ohio is seeking to revive an immigration bill proposed in 2023, which passed the House but stalled in the Democrat-controlled Senate.

“Jordan’s immigration overhaul bill would significantly crack down on legal immigration in the United States through limits on asylum and parole eligibility,” reports Politico’s Hailey Fuchs. “It also would require employers to use E-Verify, an online system where they can ascertain an individual’s eligibility to work in the U.S., while setting a new minimum of 22,000 active-duty agents for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency.” The Jordan and Salazar bills both propose requiring E-Verify, which is one of their few commonalities now that border security has been addressed in the One Big Beautiful Bill.

It’s interesting, though — 18 months ago, a “bipartisan” immigration bill was stopped by Donald Trump, who wasn’t even in office at the time but stiffened enough GOP spines to thwart the dream of Democrats to have up to 5,000 new prospective voters enter the country daily. While she was mum on the specifics of the Dignity Act, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Trump was not in favor of an “amnesty bill.”

Nor is much of his base. “Every last one of the turncoats signing on to this abomination needs to be primaried,” declared Hot Air’s Beege Welborn, “and, while they’re still in Congress, should be forced to wear a scarlet letter ‘A’ of shame for ‘amnestarian.’” She has a point. We’re just six months into an administration that is FINALLY enforcing immigration law, which is what Americans voted for. Those who are here illegally can already take advantage of the amnesty of quietly returning home. Heck, the government will even give them travel assistance and a $1,000 stipend once they verify they’ve arrived back from whence they came.

Importantly, as DHS points out, “participation in CBP Home Self-Deportation may help preserve the option for an illegal alien to re-enter the United States legally in the future.” Americans don’t mind immigrants at all; we just ask that they come in the proper way — with permission — and contribute to making our nation great again.

After all, most of us have ancestors who came here that way at some point in the past. (For this writer, it was my great-grandfather at the turn of the last century.) To those not born here of American citizen parents, citizenship is a privilege and something to be earned, not a right.