Ted Cruz presidential campaign, 2016/Immigration
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 Ted Cruz |
U.S. Senator (Assumed office: 2013) |
2028 • 2024 • 2020 • 2016 |
This page was current as of the 2016 election.
- At the eleventh Republican debate on March 3, 2016, Cruz explained his position on foreign work visas, saying, “Well, the abuse of the H1-B program has been rampant. On the face of that H1-B abuse, I have proposed, and promised as president that I will impose a 180 day moratorium on the H1B program to implement a comprehensive investigation and audit because you got U.S. companies that are firing American workers, bringing in foreign workers, and forcing them to train their replacements. And, I would note that is not dissimilar to what we discovered at the last debate concerning the hotel that Donald owns down in Florida. Down in Florida that hotel has brought in hundreds of foreign workers, and afterwards it was really striking. I watched the CNN interview Donald did where he explained, he said, well the problem is you can't find Americans who are qualified, or who want to work as waiters and waitresses. Now, let me ask the people here, how many people have worked as a waiter or waitress? Millions across this country. That is an astonishing statement. You know, Marco's Dad started as a bartender. My Dad started washing dishes, and yet, you know how many Americans wanted those jobs? Roughly 300 applied, Donald hired 17. And, that's why this New York Times tape is so troubling because what's been reported is that Donald told the Editorial Board of the New York Times what I'm saying on immigration, I don't believe. I'm not going to build a wall, I'm not going to deport people, this is all just rhetoric for the voters. Now, if he didn't say that, he has an easy solution. Simply release the tape. But, for everyone at home who's mad at politicians that lied to us, Donald's record right now as he standing here… His record right now is one of repeatedly hiring illegal aliens...abusing (ph) American workers…”[2]
- At the eighth Republican presidential primary debate on February 6, 2016, Ted Cruz discussed immigration: "What you do is, you enforce the law. You know, under the Constitution, the president has an obligation to, quote, "Take care that the laws be faithfully executed." Federal immigration law provides, if someone is here illegally and is apprehended, they are to be deported. We saw just this past week the head of the border patrol union testify before Congress that President Obama had given the order to the border patrol to stand down, not to enforce the law. That is wrong. I will enforce the law, and for everyone who says, you can't possibly do that, I would note that in eight years, Bill Clinton deported 12 million people. In eight years, George W. Bush deported 10 million people. Enforcing the law -- we can do it. What is missing is the political will. And when they were deporting the people, the border wasn't secure, so they'd come right back. Once you secure the border, enforcing the law will solve this problem and that will benefit American workers."[3]
- During the seventh Republican presidential primary debate on January 28, 2016, Cruz talked about stopping illegal immigration: “Listen, we can solve immigration. We just heard an argument back and forth that we can't solve immigration. I have a detailed immigration plan that is on my website, tedcruz.org. It was designed with Iowa's own Congressman Steve King and Jeff Sessions, and...we have the tools in federal law to do this now. We can build the fence. We can triple the border patrol. We can end sanctuary cities by cutting off...funding to them. We can end welfare for those here illegally. And what is missing is the political will, because too many Democrats and, sadly, too many Republicans don't want to solve this problem. If I am elected president... we will secure the border...and we will end the illegal immigration.”[4]
- Discussing the potential systems that can be used to deport undocumented immigrants on January 10, 2016, Cruz said, “You put in place a strong E-Verify system, that means people can not get employment without proving they are here legally. You implement a strong biometric entry-exit system for visas, so that we know the instant someone overstays their visa. 40% of illegal immigrants are visa overstays.”[5]
- After the fifth GOP primary debate on December 15, 2015, Chad Sweet, Cruz's campaign chairman underscored Cruz's opposition to legalization of those in the U.S. without documentation. According to The Washington Post, Sweet told reporters after the debate that the candidate ‘unequivocally’ rejects granting undocumented people legal status” and that Cruz supports "attrition through enforcement, which some Hispanic groups who met with Cruz's campaign said they are concerned means self-deportation, or making life so difficult for undocumented people that they return to their home countries. Mitt Romney supported self-deportation as the Republican nominee in 2012."[6]
- At the fifth GOP primary debate on December 15, 2015, Cruz defended his position on immigration after being criticized by Marco Rubio. Cruz said, “Look, I understand Marco wants to raise confusion, it is not accurate what he just said that I supported legalization. Indeed, I led the fight against his legalization and amnesty. And you know, there was one commentator that put it this way that, for Marco to suggest our record's the same is like suggesting ‘the fireman and the arsonist because they are both at the scene of the fire.’ He was fighting to grant amnesty and not to secure the border, I was fighting to secure the border. And this also goes to trust, listening on to campaign trails. Candidates all the time make promises. You know, Marco said," he learned that the American people didn't trust the federal government."[7]
- Following a meeting between Hispanic conservatives and campaign officials from five presidential campaigns on December 14, 2015, the group held a press conference "where they criticized Cruz’s immigration plan. “We learned today that Sen. Cruz believes in attrition through enforcement,” Alfonso Aguilar of the American Principles Project’s Latino Project said, likening it to “self-deportation.” Mario Lopez of the Hispanic Leadership added, “You can ask President Mitt Romney” about the political consequences of support self-deportation.[8]
- In a December 3, 2015, letter to Attorney General Loretta Lynch, Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson and Secretary of State John Kerry, Cruz and U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) accused the Obama administration of not timely responding to a request for the “immigration histories” of 72 individuals since August. “A response is not only long overdue, but urgent in light of a series of assaults, including: the heinous attacks in San Bernardino, Calif., the earlier attacks on the military recruiting center in Chattanooga, Tenn. the Boston Bombing, and Congress' imminent consideration of government funding legislation that would include funding for myriad immigration programs that have allowed for these events to occur," Cruz and Sessions wrote.[9]
- Cruz pledged to suspend a program that gives work visas to highly skilled immigrants, dramatically increase deportations, add hundreds of miles to the wall on the Mexican border and reverse every immigration order signed by President Barack Obama, including one that defers enforcement for many children of immigrants brought to the country without documentation, as part of an immigration plan he proposed, the Associated Press reported November 14, 2015. Cruz's decision to suspend the high-skilled visas, also known as the H1-B visa program, represented a complete about-face on one of his long-held immigration stances, and is part of an aggressive immigration plan designed to appeal to the GOP’s most conservative wing and distinguish himself from Marco Rubio and Jeb Bush, two Florida-based candidates who support a pathway to citizenship for immigrants in the country illegally, the AP reported. Cruz also pledged to triple the number of border patrol agents, increase aerial surveillance around the border and finish a biometric tracking system for immigrants entering the country legally. Cruz’s campaign did not detail the cost of his proposals when asked, according to the AP.[10]
- At the fourth Republican primary debate on November 10, 2015, Cruz made the case that, at it's heart, the immigration issue is about the downward pressure that results on wages. He said, "I understand that when the mainstream media covers immigration, it doesn't often see it as an economic issue. But, I can tell you for millions -- of Americans at home watching this, it is a very personal economic issue. And, I will say the politics of it will be very, very different if a bunch of lawyers or bankers were crossing the Rio Grande. Or if a bunch of people with journalism degrees were coming over and driving down the wages in the press. Then, we would see stories about the economic calamity that is befalling our nation. And, I will say for those of us who believe people ought to come to this country legally, and we should enforce the law, we're tired of being told it's anti-immigrant. It's offensive. I am the son of an immigrant who came legally from Cuba to seek the American dream. And, we can embrace legal immigration while believing in the rule of law."[11]
- On October 20, 2015, the Senate failed to advance a bill cosponsored by Cruz that would have denied federal funding to “sanctuary cities.”[12]
- During the September 2016 GOP debate, Cruz claimed to be the only GOP contender completely opposed to amnesty. “A majority of the men and women on this stage have previously and publicly embraced amnesty. I am the only candidate on this stage who has never supported amnesty and, in fact, who helped lead the fight to stop a massive amnesty plan,” said Cruz.[13]
- On August 26, 2015, Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly asked Cruz why he would not say if he would deport children born to undocumented immigrants. Cruz responded, “[W]e need to solve the problem. And the way you solve the problem, is you focus where there’s bipartisan agreement first. Once we’ve secured the border, once we’ve actually proven we can do this, once we’ve stopped the Obama administration’s policy of releasing 104,000 violent criminal illegal aliens in one year, once we’ve solved that problem, then we can have a debate, then we can have a conversation.“[14]
- According to an August 2015, Politifact article, Cruz stated that the Obama administration released criminal undocumented immigrants. He said, "In the year 2013, the Obama administration released 104,000 criminal illegal aliens. The released 196 murders - people with homicide convictions, who are here illegally. That's what I find objectionable."[15]
- When asked on August 19, 2015, to comment on Donald Trump’s proposal to end birthright citizenship, Ted Cruz said, “I welcome Donald Trump articulating this view. It is a view I have long held. ... We should end granting automatic birthright citizenship to the children of those who are here illegally."[16]
- In 2014, Cruz sponsored S 2666 - Protect Children and Families Through the Rule of Law Act, which was "A bill to prohibit future consideration of deferred action for childhood arrivals or work authorization for aliens who are not in lawful status, to facilitate the expedited processing of minors entering the United States across the southern border, and to require the Secretary of Defense to reimburse States for National Guard deployments in response to large-scale border crossings of unaccompanied alien children from noncontiguous countries."[17]
- Cruz voted against comprehensive immigration reform in 2013. S 744 - Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act passed the Senate on June 27, 2013.[18]
DACA/ DAPA
| CANDIDATE SUMMARY | |
- On January 8, 2016, a woman who benefitted from DACA asked Ted Cruz, “As a DACA holder myself, I am worried about whoever comes next in the presidency and what’s gonna happen to people like us? I think of myself as a part of this community and, you know, first day in presidency you decide to deport, you know, people like myself — it’s just very difficult to process it." Cruz responded, "I would note, if you’re a DACA recipient it means that you were brought here illegally, and violating the laws has consequences. And one of the problems with our broken immigration system is that it is creating human tragedies and there are human tragedies when people break the law, but I can tell you what the law is in every country on earth. If I illegally emigrate to England or Germany or France or China or Mexico, and they catch me, they will deport me. That’s what every other country on Earth does, and there’s no reason that America’s laws should have less respect than the laws of every other country on Earth. We should welcome people who come following the laws, but there are consequences for breaking the laws, and that is part of what makes America the nation that we are."[19]
- On April 4, 2015, Cruz and 42 other Republican senators filed an amicus brief in support of a lawsuit challenging President Obama's Immigration Accountability Executive Actions. The brief reads: “There is little doubt that the Executive adopted the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (‘DAPA’) program as part of an explicit effort to circumvent the legislative process… For decades, Congress has acted with great care to prescribe the categories of foreign nationals who may enter this country, who may remain, who among them may be allowed to obtain employment, and who may enjoy benefits under federal law. To elevate the Executive’s policy preferences above those encoded in federal law would eviscerate the comprehensive scheme that Congress has enacted, and disrupt the balance of powers between the political branches.”[20]
- On August 26, 2015, Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly asked Cruz why he would not say if he would deport children born to undocumented immigrants. Cruz responded, “[W]e need to solve the problem. And the way you solve the problem, is you focus where there’s bipartisan agreement first. Once we’ve secured the border, once we’ve actually proven we can do this, once we’ve stopped the Obama administration’s policy of releasing 104,000 violent criminal illegal aliens in one year, once we’ve solved that problem, then we can have a debate, then we can have a conversation.“[21]
| "Sen. Ted Cruz Second Q&A in Judiciary Committee Hearing on DACA," March 4, 2015. |
- In June 2015, Cruz introduced S 1593 - the Immigration Slush Fund Elimination Act "to eliminate the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) ability to use the fees it collects for the provision of legal immigration services to fund amnesty. The bill would also restore congressional authority over the appropriations process and refocus the agency on its core national security mission." Cruz said, “America has always been a land of refuge and opportunity for those seeking freedom, and we should champion legal immigration. Ronald Reagan referred to legal immigrants, immigrants like my father, as Americans by choice. The federal government should not be in the business of looting the wallets of those who followed the law and came here legally to fund the President’s illegal and unconstitutional amnesty. This bill will cut off DHS’s credit card and put Congress back in charge of funding the agencies responsible for immigration.”[22][23]
- During a Senate Judiciary meeting in March 2015, Cruz said that DACA and DAPA are unconstitutional. He said, "My first concern [with the president's executive amnesty] is that it is contrary to federal law and unconstitutional, and as I noted earlier a federal district court has agreed that it is contrary to law and has accordingly enjoined it. But another major concern is a question of fairness. That executive amnesty benefits and in fact gives preferences to those who are here illegally, and it does so to the detriment of legal immigrants, of those who have followed the law and come here legally."[24]
- In February 2015, after U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen blocked the implementation of DAPA and the expansion of DACA, Cruz said, “Texas led the way, standing up to President Obama’s illegal and unconstitutional executive amnesty. ... If the Department of Homeland Security continues moving forward, that on its face is in violation of a fed court injunction."[25]
- In a November 2014, op-ed, Cruz proposed a plan for preventing President Obama from implementing DAPA and expanding DAPA. He wrote, "If the president announces executive amnesty, the new Senate majority leader who takes over in January should announce that the 114th Congress will not confirm a single nominee—executive or judicial—outside of vital national security positions, so long as the illegal amnesty persists. This is a potent tool given to Congress by the Constitution explicitly to act as a check on executive power. It is a constitutional power of the majority leader alone, and it would serve as a significant deterrent to a lawless president. Additionally, the new Congress should exercise the power of the purse by passing individual appropriations bills authorizing critical functions of government and attaching riders to strip the authority from the president to grant amnesty. President Obama will no doubt threaten a shutdown—that seems to be the one card he repeatedly plays—but Congress can authorize funding for agencies of government one at a time. If the President is unwilling to accept funding for, say, the Department of Homeland Security without his being able to unilaterally defy the law, he alone will be responsible for the consequences. A presidential temper tantrum is not an acceptable means of discourse. Of course, these confrontations are not desirable, and it is unbecoming for an American president to show such condescension towards the voters. The American people, however, are not powerless. They have elected a new Congress full of members who have promised in their campaigns to stand up to this lawless President and stop the amnesty. We must honor our commitments. If the president will not respect the people, Congress must."[26]
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term Ted + Cruz + Immigration
See also
Footnotes
- ↑ Politico, "Ted Cruz drops out of presidential race," May 3, 2016
- ↑ Washington Post, "The Fox News GOP debate transcript, annotated," March 3, 2016
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Transcript of the New Hampshire GOP debate, annotated," February 6, 2016
- ↑ The Washington Post, "7th Republican debate transcript, annotated: Who said what and what it meant," January 28, 2016
- ↑ Real Clear Politics, "Ted Cruz Draws Contrast With Trump On Federal 'Deportation Force,' 'We Don't Live In A Police State'," January 10, 2016
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Ted Cruz finally says what he’d do about undocumented immigrants," December 16, 2015
- ↑ CNN, "Rush Transcript second debate: CNN Facebook Republican Presidential Debate," December 15, 2015
- ↑ BuzzFeed, "Hispanic Republicans Blast Ted Cruz After Private Meeting With Campaign Chairman," December 14, 2015
- ↑ Talking Points Memo, "Ted Cruz, Jeff Sessions Accuse Obama Officials Of Withholding Info On Terrorists," December 3, 2015
- ↑ AP: The Big Story, "Cruz immigration plan would suspend work visa program," November 14, 2015
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Who said what and what it meant: The 4th GOP debate, annotated," November 10, 2015
- ↑ The Dallas Morning News, "Ted Cruz blasts “sanctuary cities,” as Democrats condemn anti-immigrant fear-mongering," October 20, 2015
- ↑ CNN, "CNN REAGAN LIBRARY DEBATE: Later Debate Full Transcript," September 16, 2015
- ↑ Real Clear Politics, "Ted Cruz vs. Megyn Kelly: You're Asking "The Question Every Mainstream Media Liberal Journalist Wants To Ask,"" August 26, 2015
- ↑ Politifact Texas, "Ted Cruz: Obama administration released 104,000 'criminal illegal aliens' including 196 murderers," August 27, 2015
- ↑ NBC News, "Ted Cruz: Ending Birthright Citizenship a 'View I Have Long Held'," August 19, 2015
- ↑ Gov Track, "S.2666 - Protect Children and Families Through the Rule of Law Act," accessed July 11, 2016
- ↑ Congress.gov, "S.744 - Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act," accessed January 23, 2015
- ↑ Real Clear Politics, "Ted Cruz Responds To DACA Recipient: Yes, I Will Deport You," accessed April 7, 2016
- ↑ Cruz.Senate.gov, "Sen. Cruz Joins Amicus Brief in Supreme Court Case Challenging Obama’s Unconstitutional Executive Amnesty," accessed April 7, 2016
- ↑ Real Clear Politics, "Ted Cruz vs. Megyn Kelly: You're Asking 'The Question Every Mainstream Media Liberal Journalist Wants To Ask,'" August 26, 2015
- ↑ Cruz.Senate.gov, "Sen. Cruz Introduces the Immigration Slush Fund Elimination Act," accessed April 7, 2016
- ↑ Congress.gov, "S.1593," accessed April 7, 2016
- ↑ Cruz.Senate.gov, "ICYMI: Sen. Cruz Questions the Fairness of DAPA/ DACA Programs to Legal Immigrants, accessed April 7, 2016
- ↑ Los Angeles Times, "Texas leaders call Obama's immigration setback 'victory for rule of law'," accessed April 7, 2016
- ↑ Politico, "Obama Is Not a Monarch," accessed April 7, 2016
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