HOUSTON, Texas — Former Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke on Wednesday unveiled what his campaign dubs the “most sweeping rewrite of U.S. immigration law in a generation,” vowing to halt wall construction, create a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers and end what the campaign calls “cruel” Trump administration border policies. 

The plan, O’Rourke’s second major policy roll-out as a presidential candidate, rests on three pillars: executive actions aimed largely at undoing Trump administration polices including family separation and the so-called Muslim ban; a broad domestic legislative package O’Rourke vows to pass in his fist one hundred days; and a foreign-policy approach to stabilizing Central American countries. 

"Coming from a city of immigrants, I've seen the incredible contributions of immigrants to our communities and local economies, and have been able to experience what happens when we allow everyone to contribute to their full potential,” the El Pasoan said in a statement. 

O’Rourke’s executive actions would begin on day one of his presidency. His plan calls for immediately ending the Trump administration's controversial family separation and remain-in-Mexico policies, as well as rescinding the travel ban. It would also “remove the fear of deportation” for Dreamers, their parents, and immigrants on temporary protected status. 

In place of a surge of military personnel to the border, the O'Rourke plan calls for a surge in up to 2,000 lawyers to help with asylum cases. 

Wading into the arena of immigration legislation, O’Rourke promises quick action on several fronts, including a push for citizenship for an estimated 11 million Dreamers, and making the citizenship process simpler for immigrants already eligible. 

One of the more novel approaches in the O’Rourke plan would be the creation of a “community-based” visa category that would allow communities and congregations to sponsor visas. 

On the campaign trail, O’Rourke often discusses increasing aid to Central American nations as a way to stop the refugee crisis at the southern border before it happens. His immigration plan would include a $5 billion dollar investment, primarily through non-governmental organizations, in the Northern Triangle of Central America. Those dollars would be spent on violence prevention, improving infrastructure and job training, among other needs. 

The O’Rourke plan is also notable for what it does not contain: additional funding for wall construction. O’Rourke says he will immediately stop all ongoing wall construction, and says any and all budgets he submits to congress will contain zero dollars for future wall building. 

Funding for border security will focus on hiring CBP officers, and improving ports of entry.