Congressman Beto O’Rourke, who limns himself as the champion of the downtrodden, had a problematic history when it came to barrio residents of his constituency. His father-in-law, a billionaire real estate developer wanted to redevelop a downtown section of El Paso and possibly displace barrio residents, businesses in the neighborhood, and Jesuit priests working with immigrants at Sacred Heart Church.
The New York Times reports that in 2006, developer William D. Sanders, O’Rourke’s father-in-law, proposed building restaurants and an arts walk to replace an area in downtown El Paso. O’Rourke represented the targeted area, including a historic Mexican-American neighborhood, at the time.
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