The so-called Dignity Act is being promoted as a balanced immigration reform, but critics say it is anything but. Rosemary Jenks, co-founder of the Immigration Accountability Project, has a far different name for it: the “SAW Act”—short for “screw all American workers.”
“The damage to American workers would be catastrophic if this bill passes,” Jenks said during a recent appearance on the War Room podcast with Steve Bannon. “More than 10 million illegal aliens would get amnesty. It screws low-wage workers with mass amnesty, and it blows open the door on higher-skilled immigration.”
According to Jenks, the bill impacts every tier of the workforce. “Whether you’re low wage, medium wage, or high wage, you will be screwed by this bill,” she said, arguing that expanded work permits and a dramatic increase in employment-based green cards would undercut American labor across the board.
The legislation has drawn particular fire for provisions tied to education and employment. Jenks pointed to language allowing foreign students with STEM degrees to remain in the United States permanently, as well as the expansion of programs like Optional Practical Training.
“It codifies OPT. It allows any foreigner who gets a STEM degree in the United States to stay,” she said. “The damage would be unfathomable.”
Jenks also rejected claims that the bill is not an amnesty measure. “Yes, it is amnesty. It is mass amnesty and mass immigration,” she said, noting that deportations would effectively halt for at least two years while applicants seek legal status. “ICE could not deport any illegal alien. It’s lunacy.”
Both Democrat and Republican sponsors have defended the proposal as a necessary compromise. But critics say the measure mirrors Democratic priorities more than conservative ones. “This is the Democrats’ amnesty bill,” Jenks noted.
She also disputed claims of strict enforcement provisions, arguing that the bill includes waivers for criminal offenses and shields employers from accountability. “It’s an absolute fabrication,” she said. “It’s disgusting.”
For opponents, the concern is clear: a sweeping policy that, they argue, reshapes the workforce at the expense of American workers—a RAW deal.