Last week, Megyn reported on the uproar being caused by the so-called Dignity Act, which, if passed, would make it easier for illegal immigrants to stay in the country. And while that is something you would expect to find in a Democrat-backed bill, the proposed legislation is co-sponsored by more than a dozen Republican representatives.
While the basic tenants of the bill seem antithetical to the Trump administration’s mass deportation efforts, there are signs that the appetite for such policies may be changing at the White House. White House Deputy Chief of Staff and key Trump immigration adviser Stephen Miller was asked about the legislation during a recent interview and his response shocked Megyn and many others who have staunchly supported the administration’s immigration enforcement efforts.
On Monday’s show, Megyn reacted to Miller’s remarks and broke down what would happen if the Trump administration chose to support the Dignity Act or other amnesty proposals.
The Dignity Act
A bipartisan group of representatives led by Reps. María Salazar (R-FL) and Veronica Escobar (D-TX) introduced the “Dignity for Immigrants while Guarding our Nation to Ignite and Deliver the American Dream Act of 2025” (a.k.a. the DIGNIDAD Act or Dignity Act) in July 2025. According to a press release from Salazar’s office, the bill aims to “fix our nation’s broken immigration system” via “the first serious bipartisan immigration solution proposed by Congress in decades.”
As Megyn explained last week, the act has some “carrots” for immigration hardliners, like mandating nationwide E-Verify to ensure all American businesses are hiring legal workers and ending catch and release. But in parallel with the stricter border enforcement, the bill also proposes a legal process for illegal immigrants who meet certain qualifications to stay in the country without fear of deportation.
The so-called “Dignity Program” would give illegals seven years of temporary legal status so long as they have been in the country for five years, pass a criminal background check, repay back taxes, and pay $7,000 in restitution.
Supporters of the bill, which was co-sponsored by 20 Republicans and 20 Democrats, claim individuals in the Dignity Program would not be eligible for federal benefits or be on a path to citizenship. Instead, they say the bill consists of five core principles “based on the biblical principles of Dignity,” including “ending illegal immigration once and for all,” “fixing our outdated asylum system,” “providing a dignified solution for undocumented immigrants living in America,” “protect[ing] American workers and supports industries,” and “ensuring the United States remain prosperous and competitive in the future.”
But critics aren’t buying it. Last week on The Megyn Kelly Show, Michel Knowles said the bill “would literally give not only amnesty but a pathway to citizenship for untold numbers of so-called Dreamers – a term coined under the Obama administration, referring to illegal aliens who are brought to this country at a younger age.”
Even with the controversy surrounding immigration enforcement tactics in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and elsewhere, Megyn noted that polling still indicates there is still overwhelming support on the right and even portions of the left for mass deportations.
Trump’s Immigration Strategy
But that doesn’t seem to be the direction the Trump administration is headed. On Monday’s show, Megyn wondered if President Trump’s mass deportation plan is currently collapsing in slow motion.
The president suggested his administration could quote “use a little bit of a softer touch” after Renee Good and Alex Pretti were killed in confrontations with immigration agents in Minnesota in January. Since then, Border Patrol “Commander at Large” Gregory Bovino has retired, President Trump removed Kristi Noem as Department of Homeland Security chief, and border czar Tom Homan formally ended Operation Metro Surge in Minneapolis.
When it comes to the numbers, they are down in a big way. After a record number of illegal immigrants –an average of 72,000 per day – were in custody in January, the figure dropped 12 percent to 63,277 by the end of March. The decline, which marked the first time detentions have had a major drop-off in Trump’s second term, was primarily driven by the decrease in arrests of illegal immigrants without criminal records.
Miller’s Concerning Answer
While there has been no movement in Congress on the Dignity Act recently, it is back in the news after Rep. Salazar announced late last month that she and other supporters will be going on a nationwide “Dignity Tour” to rally support for its passage. That is likely what led Fox News’ Brian Kilmeade to ask Miller where he stands on it during a recent interview.
MILLER: Well, you know that this administration opposes amnesty. President Trump has always been clear in his opposition to amnesty. Of course, you know, my own, my own views. But I want to, I want to reframe this whole conversation, Brian, if I could, to something that President Trump has been very focused on for a long time, and that’s about having the kind of immigration to this country that makes us stronger, not weaker. I think this conversation gets siloed too often when we have to look at the whole picture… This old Washington conversation about amnesty is missing the whole point. The real conversation is, how do we have an immigration policy that makes America stronger and more unified, not weaker and more divided?
Megyn was stunned by the response. “That it sounded like someone else invaded Stephen Miller’s body and spoke for him there,” she said. “To me, that sounded like somebody getting ready to lay the table for something other than deportations, something possibly approaching amnesty, like that Salazar bill. That was not a ‘no,’ and I don’t know why.”
In her view, Miller’s answer likely reflects a shift in the administration, if not President Trump himself. “There’s zero chance that Stephen Miller has softened on this issue. If the message is softening, it’s because his boss is taking a different position,” Megyn posited. “And it was just a couple of months ago that President Trump suggested he might be open to something like this. He says ‘no amnesty’ and then he softens it with another statement like, ‘Well, but we have to see about people who have been here for a long time.'”
The Political Ramifications
Megyn said the passage of the Dignity Act or something resembling it “cannot happen” and suggested it would amount to a death knell heading into the 2026 and 2028 elections.
“I cannot imagine what will happen in ’26, never mind ’28, if Trump betrays the base on Epstein, on Middle East war, and then grants amnesty for anyone,” she said. “There is just no way. If he does that, he is intentionally trying to give the elections to Democrats. If he does that truly like then he’s trying to get Democrats elected. There is just no way he would intentionally do that.”
Even so, she said there is no question Team Trump is “softening” the immigration message. “I don’t know why they is softening in the message. I don’t know why we have a Republican co-sponsor [Salazar] who Trump endorsed after she became a co-sponsor of this so-called Dignity Act,” Megyn noted. “Something appears to be in the mix, which is not going to go over well with the… America-Firsters who put him in office… There will be nothing left of the America-First coalition, if the promise to deport the illegals is abandoned in favor of amnesty of any kind.”
You can check out Megyn’s full analysis by tuning in to episode 1,296 on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you like to listen. And don’t forget that you can catch The Megyn Kelly Show live on SiriusXM’s The Megyn Kelly Channel (channel 111) weekdays from 12pm to 2pm ET.