Former Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-TX) pledged that the next time Democrats control the White House and both chambers of Congress, they will aggressively push immigration reform to grant legal status to all Dreamers and their parents.
Speaking at a rally in Fort Worth titled “The People vs. The Power Grab,” O’Rourke criticized his party for failing to deliver on promises of comprehensive immigration reform when in full power in both 2008 and 2020.
“You know, Democrats — present company excluded — have talked an awful good game on immigration… Well, we won power… and we absolutely failed to live up to the expectation that we set,” O’Rourke told attendees.
He vowed that under the next Democratic majority, the party would “drive that car like we stole it” by legalizing “every Dreamer, every Dreamer’s parents, every hard-working American doing back-breaking work” and granting them U.S. citizenship.
Dreamers are undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children. Many have lived in the country most of their lives, attended U.S. schools, and started families. O’Rourke’s proposal echoes his previous 2019 “10-point plan” calling for citizenship not only for Dreamers but also their parents — whom he calls “the original Dreamers.”
His 2019 plan would create a pathway to citizenship for millions, ensuring they could work legally, pay taxes, and “contribute even more to our country’s success.”
O’Rourke is currently holding town halls across Texas amid speculation about a possible U.S. Senate run in 2026, according to WFAA News.
