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Democratic presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke discusses immigration reform plan Tuesday, May 28, at Chamizal National Memorial park in El Paso. El Paso Times

Democratic presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke of El Pasoreleased his immigration plan in his bid for the 2020 presidential election.

Here is a copy of O'Rourke's plan, which is titled "In Our Own Image."

Beto ORourkes Plan for Rebuilding Our Immigration and Naturalization System To Make It Work Better for Our Families, Our Communities, and Our Economy

Above all else, immigration is about people not just those who have recently arrived or those yet to come, but the kind of people we choose to be. Since the Founding, the compact we made as a nation was to welcome the oppressed, the persecuted, and the hopeful from all over the world because we recognize that immigrants enrich every aspect of our society with their determination and genius. Each successive generation of Americans has included immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers, strengthening this nation that we share.

Democratic presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke discusses immigration reform plan Tuesday, May 28, at Chamizal National Memorial park in El Paso.(Photo: Briana Sanchez / El Paso Times)

The current administration has chosen to defy this American aspiration, drafted into our Declaration of Independence, welded into the welcome of our Statue of Liberty, and secured by the sacrifices of countless generations. Instead, the current administration is pursuing cruel and cynical policies that aim to sow needless chaos and confusion at our borders. It is manufacturing crises in our communities. And it is seeking to turn us against each other. When this is done in our name, with our tax dollars, and to our neighbors, we not only undermine our laws, hold back our economy, and damage our security we risk losing ourselves.

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But at this moment of peril, we have a chance not only to reverse course but to advance a new vision of immigration that more fully reflects our values. As a fourth-generation El Pasoan, Beto uniquely recognizes the urgency of fixing our broken immigration and naturalization system. Rooted in his experience serving the largest binational community in the Western Hemisphere one that draws its strength and prosperity from its rich heritage of welcoming immigrants Beto is proposing a new path forward to ensure we honor our laws, live up to our values, and once again harness the power of a new generation of immigration toward our shared prosperity.

Betos plan, which would represent the most sweeping rewrite of our nations immigration and naturalization laws in a generation, is built on three key pillars:

1. On day one of his presidency, Beto will use executive authority to stop the inhumane treatment of children, reunite families that have been separated, reform our asylum system, rescind the travel bans, and remove the fear of deportation for Dreamers and beneficiaries of programs like TPS.

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2. Beto will also immediately engage with Congress to enact legislation focused on the key role families and communities play that will allow America to fully harness the power of economic growth and opportunity that both immigration and naturalization will bring to our countrys future.

3. Finally, Betos plan would strengthen our partnership with our neighbors in the Western Hemisphere. We need to refocus on supporting democracy and human rights and invest in reducing violence because the only path to regional security runs through a more democratic and prosperous Latin America.

Marco Pastrana talks to Democratic presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke during a discussion about his immigration reform plan Tuesday, May 28, at Chamizal National Memorial park in El Paso.(Photo: Briana Sanchez / El Paso Times)

I. ENDING THE CRUEL AND CYNICAL POLICIES THAT CREATE CHAOS AT OUR BORDERS AND IN OUR COMMUNITIES ON DAY ONE

The current administrations cruel and cynical policies are sowing needless chaos and confusion at our borders and in our communities. On day one of his presidency, Beto will take immediate executive action to end these practices and replace them with policies that conform to our laws and values, restore order and process to our asylum and immigration systems, and refocus our tax dollars on smart security. Those executive actions will:

Democratic presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke and his wife Amy O'Rourke listen to Marco Pastrana during a discussion about immigration reform Tuesday, May 28, at Chamizal National Memorial park in El Paso.(Photo: Briana Sanchez / El Paso Times)

An ORourke administration will ensure lawful and humane conditions at U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) facilities, including access to medical treatment, mental health care, social workers, and translators, and restore orderly and prompt processing of people seeking refuge under our nations asylum laws. As president, Beto will:

Democratic presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke discusses immigration reform plan Tuesday, May 28, at Chamizal National Memorial park in El Paso.(Photo: Briana Sanchez / El Paso Times)

Reinstate the Central American Minors program allowing children with parents in the U.S. to apply for refugee status from their home countries and other regional refugee resettlement efforts, working with the international community to process cases in the region and commit to resettling in partner countries.

More: 2020 Election: Democratic Candidate Beto O'Rourke unveils sweeping immigration reform plan

Take immediate steps to upgrade and increase staffing in the asylum system, streamline how cases move through the process, and provide timely and fair asylum decisions, while laying the foundation for a more fundamental reform to the immigration court system that restores due process and ensures equal access to justice, including by:

Personally lead a public-private initiative to bring humanitarian resources to the border.

Rescind the discriminatory travel bans, which defy our nations Constitution and values.

Immediately remove the fear of deportation for Dreamers and their parents and Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) beneficiaries, and begin work towards a permanent legislative solution.

More: Beto O'Rourke discusses Trump impeachment, opioid crisis, immigration during CNN Town Hall

Refocus on smart security. The current administration is distracting CBP and other law enforcement personnel from focusing on actual threats and undermining their efficacy by pulling resources away from them all in pursuit of a wall that we do not need, does not work, and will not make us safer. As President, Beto will:

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II. STRENGTHENING OUR FAMILIES, COMMUNITIES, AND ECONOMY BY REWRITING OUR IMMIGRATION LAWS IN OUR OWN IMAGE

As President, Beto will push to rewrite our nations immigration and naturalization laws in our own image. These laws have not been meaningfully modernized in decades, despite the efforts of multiple administrations. But we have the chance to chart a new course that more fully vindicates the promise of this nation of immigrants. Beto will work with Congress to achieve that vision. He will reunite families and ensure they have a chance to contribute more to our economy and our communities and pursue the American Dream. He will put workers and employers on a level playing field to, together, tap into the opportunity immigration presents for our economic growth and shared prosperity. And he will do that while boosting the security and functionality of our borders.

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This is not just right but also essential to our shared prosperity. Immigrants from every corner of the world those who came here on student visas and those seeking refuge from persecution have been a key driver of our economic growth. They have been responsible for nearly one-third of all new small business, one-fifth of all Fortune 500 companies. And achieving immigration reform will be critical to unlocking our future success creating at least 3 million jobs over the next decade, adding $2 billion to state and local tax revenues each year, and cutting the deficit by at least $1 trillion over the next 20 years.

Naturalization, too, promises economic gains. One study of 21 U.S. cities found that if all eligible immigrant residents were to naturalize, incomes would increase by $5.7 billion, homeownership would rise by over 45,000, and tax revenues would grow $2 billion. If half of those eligible nationwide naturalized, GDP would grow by $37 to 52 billion per year.

Democratic presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke discusses immigration reform plan Tuesday, May 28, at Chamizal National Memorial park in El Paso.(Photo: Briana Sanchez / El Paso Times)

In his first hundred days, Beto will put the full weight of the presidency behind passing legislation that:

Creates an earned pathway to citizenship for 11 million undocumented people that is more efficient than previous proposals and includes an immediate path for Dreamers and beneficiaries of programs like the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) programs.

More: Beto O'Rourke to appear on CNN Town Hall as he relaunches presidential campaign

Strengthens our families, communities, and economy by prioritizing family unity a hallmark of our best traditions through provisions that:

Establishes a new, first-of-its-kind community-based visa category. Betos proposal will create a brand new category whereby communities and congregations can welcome refugees through community sponsorship of visas. This program will supplement the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, which will be rebuilt and restored to align with Americas tradition of welcoming vulnerable refugees from around the world.

Increase the visa caps so that we match our economic opportunities and needs for work, education, investment, and innovation to the number of people we allow into this country. This also means legislation that will:

Make naturalization easier for the nearly 9 million immigrants who are currently eligible for citizenship. If we are to reestablish our reputation as a nation that welcomes immigrants, we must make it easier for those already here to become full-fledged citizens. This means pursuing legislation that:

Bolster security and functionality of the border where trade and travel occur. Beto will draw on his lived experience at the border to push for legislation that actually supports our law enforcement and our border communities in advancing the nations security and protection from all threats. This includes three steps:

Increasing Personnel: Immediately stop the smuggling of drugs and prevent human trafficking across the border by hiring, training, and assigning additional CBP personnel at land border crossings;

Strengthening Infrastructure: Investing in smart, long-term border security by improving existing ports of entry and constructing new ones, investing in evidence-based, cost-effective technology, and supporting federal grant programs that provide resources to both state and local law enforcement and our border communities; and

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Beto O'Rourke immigration reform plan 'In Our Own Image'