O'Malley calls for welcoming refugees, immigrants at Iowa STAR PAC meeting

After endorsing Martin O'Malley for president earlier this month, a peace-focused Iowa political action committee hosted the Democratic candidate in Des Moines on Sunday night.

O'Malley, who has consistently polled in third place behind fellow Democratic candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, touched on several topics — including immigration reform and foreign policy — while speaking to a large crowd of his supporters and others from Iowa's nonpartisan Stop The Arms Race Political Action Committee, or STAR PAC, on Sunday night.

"We, as Americans, are at our best, I believe, when we … return to the urgent work of waging peace, at home and abroad. When we act upon the belief that we all share in the dignity of every individual person. When we take action on the faith that we are all in this together," O'Malley said.

O'Malley heard applause from the audience when he called for the U.S. to be welcoming to refugees, especially in light of some recent national backlash against Syrian refugees and Muslim immigrants following ISIS attacks internationally.

"(Our work) means never slamming our door on refugees who are fleeing genocide and death," O'Malley said.

The former Maryland governor said he helped welcome 5,000 refugees to Maryland from Central America as governor.

O'Malley, also a former mayor of Baltimore, was joined Sunday night by Des Moines Mayor Frank Cownie, who also said he believes the U.S. must be welcoming toward international refugees and immigrants.

O'Malley also touched on regular stump speech points including striving for an economy more inclusive to all Americans, criminal justice reform and immigration policies that don't split up families through deportation.

In response to an audience member's question, O'Malley repeated his commitment to striving for a $15 national minimum wage.

Sunday was the first night of O'Malley upcoming four-day swing through Iowa.

The rest of his upcoming campaign stops include:

MONDAY

Webster City: 10 a.m., Hamilton County New Leadership forum at Second Street Emporium, 615 Second St.

Iowa Falls: Noon, Hardin County New Leadership forum at Coffee Attic, 604 Washington Ave.

Waterloo: 6 p.m., Waterloo field office opening, 329 E. Fourth St.

Tama: 8 p.m., Tama County New Leadership Forum at Tama Civic Center, 305 Siegel St.

TUESDAY

Jefferson: 5:30 p.m., Greene County New Leadership forum at Prairie Blue, 114 N. Wilson Ave.

Fort Dodge: 7:30 p.m., Fort Dodge New Leadership forum at Central Perk & Dessert, 14 S. 14th St.

WEDNESDAY

Humboldt: 9 a.m., Humboldt County New Leadership forum at Miller's Landing, 600 13th St. S.

Clarion: 10:30 a.m., Wright County New Leadership forum at Clarion Public Library, 302 N. Main St.

Des Moines: 2:30 pm., door-knocking with son William O'Malley, location TBA