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Yes.

U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., cosponsored legislation that would have offered legal status — under certain conditions — to an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants.

One Nation, a dark-money group that doesn’t disclose its donors, claimed Aug. 21, 2024, in an ad that Baldwin supported “amnesty.”

One Nation cited to Wisconsin Watch Baldwin’s 2021 cosponsorship of the U.S. Citizenship Act.

The bill, a Biden administration initiative that did not become law, would have established a path to citizenship.

It would have established a new status of “lawful prospective immigrant” to undocumented immigrants who passed background checks, and after five years, they could apply for permanent resident status. Other undocumented immigrants, such as those who worked a certain amount of agricultural labor, would have received permanent resident status.

News reports and Baldwin said 11 million people would have qualified.

Baldwin is running against Republican Eric Hovde in the Nov. 5 election.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

Sources

Open Secrets: What is Dark Money?

One Nation: ON: “Charges” 30s – WI

Congress.gov: S.348 – U.S. Citizenship Act

Congress.gov: S.348 – U.S. Citizenship Act — All Actions

Congress.gov: S.348 – U.S. Citizenship Act: Summary

New York Times: Biden to Announce Broad Plan to Reverse Trump Immigration Policies

NPR: Democrats Unveil Sweeping Immigration Bill

Sen. Tammy Baldwin: U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Supports Introduction of Bicameral U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021 to Reform American Immigration System

White House: Fact Sheet: President Biden Sends Immigration Bill to Congress as Part of His Commitment to Modernize our Immigration System

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Tom Kertscher joined Wisconsin Watch as a full-time reporter in October 2024. He started as a fact checker in January 2023 and contributes to our collaboration with the The Gigafact Project to fight misinformation online. Kertscher is a former longtime newspaper reporter, including at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. He is a contributing writer for Milwaukee Magazine and sports freelancer for The Associated Press.