Rival PACs Mobilize Millions to Target GOP Co-Sponsors of the Dignity Act

Republican infighting over immigration has spilled into the 2024 primary calendar as two political action committees prepare to spend millions backing opposing sides in GOP primaries nationwide.

The dispute centers on Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar's (R-Fla.) bipartisan Dignity Act, which has drawn 20 House GOP co-sponsors. The bill would not create direct pathways to citizenship but would allow millions of unauthorized immigrants to obtain work authorization and remain in the United States legally — a compromise that has split Republicans between restrictionist hardliners and more moderate, pro-reform voices.

Two PACs, Opposing Goals

Homeland PAC, funded by immigration-restriction conservatives, launched last week with an explicit aim to mount primary challenges to some of the bill’s Republican co-sponsors. Ryan Girdusky, the GOP strategist behind Homeland PAC, said the group intends to push Republicans toward stricter border and immigration enforcement and signaled it will focus on co-sponsors in safe, red districts where primary challenges are plausible.

On the other side, American Business Immigration Coalition Action (ABIC Action) has secured $1.2 million through its Building America’s Economy PAC and plans to raise as much as $5 million to defend lawmakers who back the Dignity Act. ABIC Action’s CEO Rebecca Shi said the group will protect co-sponsors — Republican and Democratic — and other lawmakers who support pragmatic immigration policies ahead of the midterms.

Political Stakes and Messaging

The fight has drawn criticism from MAGA-aligned influencers and some conservative commentators who label the bill "amnesty." Prominent critics include former Trump adviser Steve Bannon, who derided the measure as the "screw American workers" bill, and media personality Megyn Kelly, who warned it could alienate the GOP base. Conservative lawmakers such as Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Rep. Brandon Gill (R-Texas) have also voiced opposition.

“Donald Trump is not going to be around forever. The goal is to focus and to put our efforts into the future, and make sure Republicans know that the demand for stronger borders and for reforms to legal immigration and illegal immigration means something,” said Ryan Girdusky of Homeland PAC. “We are not going to roll over and go back to business as usual.”

At the same time, the White House has quietly shifted its public language on enforcement, moving away from phrases such as "mass deportations" and emphasizing that immigration enforcement will prioritize the "worst of the worst." That recalibration comes amid slipping public approval on the administration’s handling of immigration.

“Extreme-right internet influencers have escalated their attacks, and we want to ensure the leadership on commonsense immigration reform are protected,” said Rebecca Shi, CEO of ABIC Action.

Electoral Implications

Among Republicans who have signed onto the Dignity Act are battleground representatives such as Gabe Evans (Colo.) and Brian Fitzpatrick (Pa.). Girdusky said Homeland PAC will not immediately disclose specific targets or a total spending plan but indicated the group will prioritize safe GOP districts for primary efforts, rather than members who might be persuaded to withdraw support for the bill.

New polling from POLITICO shows broad skepticism of aggressive deportation efforts: roughly half of Americans — including about a quarter of Trump’s 2024 voters — view the president’s deportation campaign as too aggressive. ABIC Action argues that defending bipartisan immigration reform now could be politically advantageous for Republicans and the White House ahead of the midterms.

The clash between these PACs turns a legislative debate into an early test of where GOP primary voters and influential conservative groups want the party to go on immigration heading into 2024.