O'Malley was in Los Angeles on Friday for some fundraising and campaign events. We talked to him about his immigration proposals and his place in the race.

His proposals have won him praise from immigrant advocates -- but not a wide base of support. O'Malley continues to trail far behind former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.

The former Maryland governor has pledged to take executive action to shield from deportation roughly 11 million immigrants in the country illegally, and he has vowed to restrict collaboration between local jails and federal immigration agents.

I'm unknown right now. But all that is about to change.

LAT: You've laid out an ambitious immigration agenda, but some of your proposals, like a plan to end the bed quota for immigrant detention, would require congressional support. How would you get that in these polarized times?

O'Malley: It's remarkable to me how many of us are willing to assume that this Republican Congress will always be there. Look at the news today, with U.S. Rep. John Boehner stepping down. The only thing that's consistent in politics is change.

LAT: But some people see Boehner's resignation as him bowing to pressure from the far right wing of his party, which has blocked an immigration overhaul that would provide a pathway to citizenship for people in the country illegally.

O'Malley: Well, the night is darkest just before dawn. The truth is, we're not going to be saddled forever with this Republican Congress. An election is an opportunity for a new consensus. I think our country is moving to a much more connected, inclusive and compassionate place.

LAT: You've pledged to act without Congress to make life easier for immigrants in the country illegally. But as we saw this year, Obama's use of executive action to expand his deportation protection program was delayed by court challenges. If the courts reject his plan, which would provide temporary work permits and deportation protection to about five million immigrants in the country illegally, what would you do then?

O'Malley: I think the likelihood is that the courts will affirm that executive authority and I think the president will prevail. I intend to go even further than the president, because I believe keeping families together is in the best interest of the United States. And in the past the level of deportations, and the mindlessness with which they've been carried out, that's hurt the United States.

LAT: Under Obama's program, immigrants are given temporary work permits and a three-year shield from deportation. Would you extend that?

O'Malley: I would like to give people as much security in their homes and with their families as I possibly can.

LAT: You've pledged to end 287(g) agreements, which place U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents inside local jails. You've also said that ICE should have to obtain warrants from a judge before local jails detain immigrant inmates for the agency. Do you believe criminals in the country illegally should be deported? If so, how do you do that without these protocols that ICE has said are necessary?

O'Malley: I think we need to disentangle local law enforcement and immigration work. That's not to say that ICE can't be providing warrants that meet constitutional muster. But we want people to be willing to come forward to local law enforcement, especially in the instance of domestic violence and robbery and other crimes.

LAT: Sanctuary cities, which refuse cooperation with ICE, have been in the news since the San Francisco killing of Kathryn Steinle, allegedly by an immigrant in the country illegally who had been released from local jail custody. Do you feel cities like San Francisco should have the right to say they're not going to cooperate with ICE on any level unless it provides a judicial warrant?

O'Malley: Yes. I think we should want all of our cities to become more compassionate places, frankly.

LAT: Given these proposals, which please many immigrant advocates, why are you not doing better with Latino voters?

O'Malley: Because I'm unknown right now. But all that is about to change. Our first debate is Oct. 13 in Nevada. So people will start to see that there are more than two candidates running for president from the Democratic Party.