Ted Cruz on Immigration Republican Texas Senator

Democrats opened the border; Texas is paying the price

[Democratic challenger Colin] Allred responded, "Listen, what I've always said is that we have to make sure that as we're talking about border security, that we don't fall into demonizing and you can take something out of context from seven years ago, which is what he's trying to do, but he doesn't want to talk about what he said this year, which is that we don't need a border bill."

Use all tools available to stop asylum for migrant caravan

CRUZ: What Obama did repeatedly is his executive orders said "we will defy the law passed by Congress." If an executive order is directing how the executive will behave, then it's constitutional.

Q: So, is this asylum change okay?

CRUZ: The President is charged under federal law with securing the border. This so-called migrant caravan of over 10,000 people marching north, declaring their intention to cross the border illegally-- I told the President just recently, "Under no circumstances should we let them cross; we should use whatever tools are available--whether it is border patrol, or the military--but we shouldn't allow 10,000 to blatantly and deliberately violate the law." There is a right way to come to this country--and that's following the law, waiting in line, and following the rules.

Enforce the law but also keep families together

CRUZ: Well listen, this is something we should all come together on. When it comes to family separation, everyone should agree. The right place for kids to be is with their parents.

Q: Will you say, "Mr. President, this isn't the right policy"?

CRUZ: I've been very clear to the president. We need to enforce the law but we should also keep families together.

No path to citizenship to DREAMers or anyone else

Ted Cruz (R): No. End DACA. No path to citizenship to Dreamers or anyone else who violates immigration laws.

Beto O'Rourke (D): Protect Dreamers. "As American as my kids. & have done everything we've asked of them." Supports earned path to citizenship for millions here illegally.

Bar refugees from terrorist-ridden regions

Children deported with parents can come back, if citizens

RUBIO: DACA is an executive order that is unconstitutional. I will cancel it on my first day in office, which means people who currently hold those permits will not be allowed to renew them, and new people will not be allowed to apply for them. I am sympathetic to the plight of someone who came here when they were 2 years old, but you can't solve it doing something that is unconstitutional.

CRUZ: Existing law provides that those who are deported cannot come back here legally. U.S. citizens can come back. That's existing law.

I led the fight to defeat the Reid-Schumer amnesty bill

CRUZ: When Harry Reid and Chuck Schumer were leading the fight to pass a massive amnesty plan, I led the fight to defeat that plan. The question for anyone on illegal immigration is where were you in that fight?

RUBIO: When that issue was being debated, at a committee hearing, Cruz said, "I want immigration reform to pass. I want people to be able to come out of the shadows." And he proposed an amendment that would legalize people here. Not only that, he proposed doubling the number of green cards. He proposed a 500 percent increase on guest workers. Now he is a passionate opponent of all those things. He either wasn't telling the truth then or he isn't telling the truth now.

CRUZ: I have promised to rescind every single illegal executive action, including that one.

FactCheck: Yes, Bill Clinton deported 12M illegal aliens

Is that true? We checked, and found that both of Cruz's figures are accurate. Looking at the Department of Homeland Security's "Yearbook of Immigration Statistics: 2013 Enforcement Actions", the figures in Table 39 are:

RUBIO: After ten years in probationary status, where all they have is a permit, I personally am open to allowing people to apply for a green card. That may not be a majority position in my party, but that's down the road. You can't even begin that process until you prove to people--not just pass a law that says you're gonna bring illegal immigration under control--you're gonna have to do it and prove to people that it's working.

CRUZ: There was a time for choosing, as Reagan put it. There was a battle over amnesty and some chose, like Senator Rubio, to stand with Barack Obama and Chuck Schumer and support a massive amnesty plan. Others chose to stand with the American people and secure the border. And I tell you, if I'm elected president, we will secure the border. We will triple the border patrol. We will build a wall that works and I'll get Donald Trump to pay for it.

Enforce the law against millions of illegals currently here

CRUZ: It is not accurate what he just said that I supported legalization. Indeed, I led the fight against his legalization and amnesty.

RUBIO: Does Ted Cruz rule out ever legalizing people that are in this country now?

CRUZ : I have never supported legalization, and I do not intend to support legalization. Let me tell you how you do this, what you do is you enforce the law. I've laid out a very, very detailed immigration plan on my website. It's 11 pages of existing federal law and in particular the question of what to do with people who are here now? You enforce the law. We can enforce the laws and if we secure the border, that solves the problem.

Illegals are an economic calamity for low-wage Americans

Support Kate's Law: oppose our leaders who won't enforce

CRUZ: Absolutely yes. And not only will I support it I have authored Kate's law in the United States Senate and filed that legislation. I tried to get the Senate to vote to pass Kate's law on the floor of the Senate just one week ago, and the leader of our own party blocked a vote on Kate's law. You know, there was reference made [by Donald Trump] about our leaders being stupid. It's not a question of stupidity. It's that they don't want to enforce the immigration laws. That there are far too many in the Washington cartel that support amnesty. There's 7 billion people across the face of the globe, many of whom want to come to this country. If they come legally, great. But if they come illegally & get amnesty, that would fundamentally change this country.

Path to citizenship is profoundly unfair to legal immigrants

Cruz has repeatedly referred to President Obama's executive order as "lawless amnesty," and in 2013, he filed an amendment that would deny a pathway to citizenship to undocumented immigrants. However, Cruz has shown some vague support for a "path to legal status," according to The New York Times. He has also proposed doubling the number of green cards given out each year.

Cruz has opposed the DREAM Act, which would "provide illegal immigrants who were brought to the United States as children a path to permanent residency if they attend college or serve in the military." In 2014, he unsuccessfully tried to reverse Obama's executive order to halt the deportation of young, undocumented immigrants.

End Obama's illegal amnesty via Congress' checks & balances

CRUZ: All across this country, Republicans campaigned, saying: if you elect a Republican Senate, we will stop President Obama's illegal amnesty. We need to honor what we said. We should use the constitutional checks and balances that we have to rein in the abuse of power of the executive. Step #1 is if the president implements this lawless amnesty, that the Senate will not confirm any executive or judicial nominees.

Defund amnesty; and refuse any nominees until rescinded

CRUZ: We should use the constitutional checks and balances that we have to rein in the abuse of power of the executive. Step #1 that I have called for is the incoming majority leader should announce if the president implements this lawless amnesty, that the Senate will not confirm any executive or judicial nominees, other than vital national security positions, for the next two years, unless and until the president ends this lawless amnesty. That is an explicit authority given to the Senate.

Q: Are you saying the Senate should refuse to confirm the president's new nominee for attorney general?

CRUZ: We have to rein in the executive. In the Federalist Papers, our Framers talked about a president who would behave like a monarch. And step #2, we've got is the power of the purse, and we should fund one at a time the critical priorities of the federal government, but also use the power of the purse to attach riders.

Democrats want amnesty to get a lot more Democratic voters

No path to citizenship for 1.65 million illegals in Texas

Give police more power to ask about immigration status

Both agreed that the US has failed to secure its border with Mexico, and said they oppose amnesty for illegal immigrants and the Obama administration's new directive allowing many young illegal immigrants brought to the US as children to be exempted from deportation.

Boots on the ground, plus a wall

Triple the size of the Border Patrol

Dewhurst: I have always been against an amnesty program. "If they want to be a citizen, they ought to go home and reapply."

Dewhurst says he was against tuition for children of illegal immigrants.

Strengthen border security and increase enforcement

Ted authored a U.S. Supreme Court amicus brief on behalf of 10 states in Lopez v. Gonzales, urging the strictest enforcement of laws punishing those with prior felony convictions who entered the country illegally.

ICE performs vital functions that protect American families.

Nineteen U.S. Senators introduced a resolution denouncing the radical calls for the dissolution of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

ICE performs vital functions that protect American families. Last year, agents worked tirelessly around the clock to rescue 1,422 victims of human trafficking. More than 900 of those victims were children. ICE agents also removed a million pounds of narcotics and more than 4,800 gang members from the streets of this country. Those numbers are just a small fraction of the nearly 127,000 arrests made by ICE agents last year against people who came here and committed violent crimes against law-abiding Americans. Those criminals were responsible for more than 50,000 assaults, 2,000 kidnappings and 1,800 homicides.

`I am deeply troubled by the Democrats` reckless calls to abolish ICE. Eliminating ICE shows a blatant disregard for the welfare of the American people and our nation`s immigration laws,` said Sen. John Neely Kennedy (R-LA). `With the ever present threat of MS-13 and international terrorism, along with an opioid crisis being fought at our border, abolishing ICE is unthinkable. ICE officers are in the trenches fighting those threats and protecting American families from the cross-border crime and illegal immigration that endanger our families. ICE deserves our gratitude and respect, not scorn and ridicule.`

`Washington Democrats wanting to abolish ICE, our country`s immigration law enforcement agency, are essentially demanding open borders,` said Sen. Cassidy (R-LA). `Assaults on ICE officers nearly tripled in 2017, so instead of attacking them, we should support them as they work to secure our borders, stop the flow of deadly drugs, break up violent gangs like MS-13, rescue human trafficking victims, and keep our communities safe.`

Support national emergency at the Southern border.

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives: That the national emergency declared by the finding of the President on February 15, 2019, in Proclamation 9844 is hereby terminated.

Proclamation 9844 issued by the president on Feb. 15, 2019: Declares a state of national emergency at the southern border to address the issues of illegal immigration and criminal trafficking into the US: `The current situation at the southern border presents a border security and humanitarian crisis that threatens core national security interests and constitutes a national emergency. The southern border is a major entry point for criminals, gang members, and illicit narcotics. The problem of large-scale unlawful migration through the southern border is long-standing, and despite the executive branch`s exercise of existing statutory authorities, the situation has worsened in certain respects in recent years. Because of the gravity of the current emergency situation, it is necessary for the Armed Forces to provide additional support to address the crisis.`

Opposing the Proclamation (supporting the Resolution), ACLU press release, 2/15/2019 The ACLU issued the following statement upon filing a lawsuit: `By the president`s very own admission in the Rose Garden, there is no national emergency. He just grew impatient and frustrated with Congress, and decided to move along his promise for a border wall `faster.` This is a patently illegal power grab that hurts American communities and flouts the checks and balances that are hallmarks of our democracy.`

Legislative outcome Passed House 245-182-5 roll #94 on Feb. 26; pass Senate 59-41 roll #49 on March 14; Vetoed by Pres. Trump; veto override failed, 248-181-3 (2/3 required), roll #127 on March 26