Salazar's proposed immigration reform bills require participants to purchase health insurance without federal subsidies and pay an additional 2% income tax, effectively excluding them from most government benefits (Miami Herald, 2/8/22; El Nuevo Herald, 2/8/22).
Immigrants under Salazar's plans would not have access to federal government programs or subsidies during their path to citizenship, with costs and legal processes funded by the immigrants themselves, not taxpayers (Miami Herald, 5/23/23; El Nuevo Herald, 5/23/23).
Many undocumented immigrants pay taxes even though they are not eligible for tax refunds or government assistance (NBC - 8 WFLA, 3/26/25).
Salazar supports reforming family reunification programs, particularly for Cuban families, aiming to modernize and expedite processing while ensuring security and accessibility (El Nuevo Herald, 4/19/21).
Despite advocating limits on federal benefits, Salazar indicated Dignity program participants would be eligible for legal employment through E-Verify (NBC - 8 WFLA, 5/23/23).
A possible vulnerability of Salazar's approach is that requiring immigrants to pay for health insurance and additional taxes, while denying subsidies or federal benefits, could create significant financial burdens for participants.
November 2023: Salazar Voted Against Defunding ORR Head Salary According to The Center Square, "Maria Salazar, Florida" was among the Republicans who "voted against Biggs' amendment," which aimed to remove Robin Dunn Marcos, director of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), over allegations of child abuse and neglect within the Unaccompanied Children Program. [Center Square, 11/16/23]
February 2022: Salazar's Bill Required Dignity Participants To Purchase Health Insurance Without Federal Subsidies And Pay Additional Taxes According to Miami Herald, "Participants in the program would be required to purchase health insurance but would be ineligible for federal subsidies, according to Salazar's office. The bill would also impose a 2% income tax levy on the program's participants." [Miami Herald, 2/8/22]
Salazar Included Health Insurance And Tax Obligations In Program Requirements According to El Nuevo Herald, "Los participantes en el programa tendrian que comprar un seguro de salud, pero no serian elegibles para recibir subsidios federales, segun la oficina de Salazar. El proyecto de ley tambien impondria un impuesto sobre la renta del 2% a los participantes del programa." [El Nuevo Herald (Miami, Florida), 2/8/22]
February 2022: Salazar Argumentó Que Migrantes Tendrían Que Pagar $1,000 Anuales Y No Accederían A Beneficios Federales According to La Prensa, "Pero tienen que pagar $1,000 USD al año, pasar por una exhaustiva verificación de antecedentes penales, y no tendrán acceso a los beneficios federales y programas." [La Prensa (Tampa, Orlando, Florida), 2/9/22]
May 2023: Salazar Stated Immigrants Under Her Bill Would Not Have Access To Government Benefits According to Miami Herald, "Those hoping to obtain U.S. citizenship through the programs in the reform would not have access to government programs or subsidies. For example, they would have to pay for their own health insurance, Salazar said." [Miami Herald, 5/23/23]
2023: Salazar Señaló Que Inmigrantes Bajo Su Proyecto No Tendrían Acceso A Subsidios Gubernamentales According to El Nuevo Herald, 'Quienes esperen obtener la ciudadanía estadounidense a través de los programas de la reforma no tendrían acceso a programas o subsidios gubernamentales. Por ejemplo, tendrían que pagar su propio seguro médico, dijo Salazar.' [El Nuevo Herald, 5/23/23]
March 2025: Rep. Maria Salazar Asserted Many Undocumented Immigrants Pay Taxes Despite Ineligibility For Refunds According to NBC - 8 WFLA: Web Edition Articles (Florida), 'Many of them have been paying taxes year after year, knowing that they are not going to get that money back,' Salazar said. [NBC - 8 WFLA: Web Edition Articles (Florida), 3/26/25]
2023: María Salazar Stated Immigrants Would Fund Their Legalization, Not Taxpayers According to an editorial published in El Nuevo Herald, "Así es como Salazar lo resumió al Miami Herald: 'Estamos arreglando la inmigración legal (y) no le costará ni un centavo al contribuyente. Lo pagarán íntegramente las personas que están aquí y se estarán metiendo' en el camino trazado para legalizar su estatus." [Editorial - El Nuevo Herald, 5/25/23]
April 2021: María Elvira Salazar Presentó Proyecto De Ley Para Modernizar Reunificación Familiar Cubano According to El Nuevo Herald, "Los representantes de Florida, María Elvira Salazar y Mario Díaz-Balart, presentaron este lunes en el Aeropuerto Internacional de Miami un proyecto de ley que busca desestancar el Programa Cubano de Reunificación Familiar, conocido como Parole y por el que más de 100,000 familias se encuentran a la espera." [El Nuevo Herald, 4/19/21]
April 2021: Salazar Explicó Que Ley Permitirá Servicios Consulares Seguros En Guantánamo Para Cubanos According to El Nuevo Herald, "La Ley de Modernización de Reunificación Familiar Cubana aborda esta situación al permitir que los EE. UU. Realicen servicios consulares desde la seguridad de la Bahía de Guantánamo y garantizar que el programa de Libertad Condicional por Reunificación Familiar Cubana (CFRP) pueda continuar reuniendo a las familias cubanoamericanas", añadió. [El Nuevo Herald, 4/19/21]
April 2021: Salazar Participated In Press Conference On Cuban Family Reunification Program According to El Nuevo Herald, 'El representante Mario Diaz-Balart, republicano por Florida, y la representante Maria Elvira Salazar, republicana por Florida, realizan una conferencia de prensa sobre el Programa de reunificación familiar cubana en Miami, Florida el 19 de abril.' [El Nuevo Herald, 4/20/21]
April 2021: Salazar Held Press Conference On Cuban Family Reunification Program At Miami International Airport According to Miami Herald, "Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, R-Fla., right, and Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Fla., hold a press conference about the Cuban Family Reunification Program at the Miami International Airport in Miami, Florida, on Monday, April 19, 2021." [Miami Herald, 7/2/21]
October 2022: María Elvira Salazar Addressed Cuban Migrants Preparing For Citizenship In Doral According to Miami Herald, "U.S. Rep. María Elvira Salazar -- a Cuban-American freshman congresswoman from Miami -- addressed a small group of migrants in Doral. [... She] took selfies with the soon-to-be citizens, all of whom said they were Cuban. She finished by leading them in a chant: 'Long live the United States of America.'" [Miami Herald, 10/24/22]
May 2023: Salazar Indicated E-Verify Eligibility for Dignity Program Participants According to NBC - 8 WFLA, "Salazar dijo que los inmigrantes inscritos en el programa Dignity calificarían para empleo bajo E-Verify." [NBC - 8 WFLA: Web Edition Articles (Florida), 5/23/23]