National Restaurant Association Supports Passage of the Dignity Act of 2025

Washington, D.C. – Today, the National Restaurant Association announced its support for the Dignity Act of 2025, bipartisan legislation that, would create sensible solutions to address the broken immigration system while providing even more security for the nation’s borders.

Immigration is fundamental to the restaurant and foodservice industry. More than 1 in 5 people working in the industry today are immigrants, shaping everything from menu trends to the local communities restaurants serve. Immigration is also essential to maintaining the industry’s resilience and long-term economic viability. With more than 15.7 million jobs across over 1 million locations, operators already face persistent workforce shortages even as the industry continues to grow. By 2036, the industry is projected to add 1.6 million jobs—an increase of about 11%—yet the overall U.S. labor force is expected to grow by less than 4% over a similar period.

“Immigration reform is not abstract policy for the restaurant industry—it is the foundation of a strong restaurant workforce and a thriving U.S. economy,” said Sean Kennedy, chief advocacy officer for the National Restaurant Association. “Protecting today’s employees, modernizing visa programs, and building a forward-looking system will help the restaurant industry grow, create jobs, and continue serving as cultural and economic anchors in every community.”

The Association is advocating for three core principles that must be accounted for in a comprehensive immigration reform package. The Dignity Act aligns with the Association’s principles in these ways:

Protects the restaurant workforce. Restaurant operators require a system that protects Dreamers that have made long-term contributions to the industry and the communities they serve. They also want legal pathways for existing employees who have lived in the U.S. for extended periods on TPS and other authorized temporary programs, to earn permanent legal status.

• The Dignity Act does this by creating a pathway to lawful permanent residency for Dreamers, overhauls the asylum process, and creates the Dignity Program which allows people who have been in the U.S. without work authorization for many years the chance to earn legal status.

Builds a modern immigration system for the future. Long-term economic growth in the U.S. depends on an immigration system that keeps pace with market demands, particularly in labor-intensive industries such as restaurants. Restaurant operators need immigration reform that establishes legal pathways to meet future labor demand and compliance requirements that rest on the employee, are equally accessible for small business owners, and provide a safe harbor for employers.

• The Dignity Act addresses this by providing long-term adoption of E-Verify with a safe harbor for employers.

“The restaurant industry needs immigration policy solutions that work in the real world, and the Dignity Act is a great start in that direction,” said Kennedy. “We appreciate the efforts of Representatives María Salazar (R-FL) and Veronica Escobar (D-TX) in introducing this legislation, and the support they and the 39 co-sponsors are offering the restaurant owners and workers in their districts. We hope this bill can spark needed debate for this important issue.”

In addition to the important solutions in the Dignity Act, the Association would like to see additional legislation addressing its core principle of fixing the work visa system. This would include the creation of work visa programs for low-skilled, high-demand employees in industries that consistently face labor shortages like the Essential Workers for Economic Advancement (EWEA) visa, exempting returning workers from the annual H-2B cap, and streamlining the work visa application process to facilitate faster processing.

Learn more about the Association’s policy priorities that support how restaurants power America’s economy here.