Interesting that you would bring up Trump’s comments from 2012 to try to argue that Trump hasn’t made deportation an issue in this campaign. You’re trying to conflate two separate issue. Statements he made in 2012, and his consistent support for deportations since he’s entered the race. Nice try but no cigar. Trump was the only candidate coming out in favor of deporting all illegals. His 2012 comments don’t change that.
If you want to argue that you don’t believe what he’s saying today because of his comments in 2012, then you’re free to do so. But that’s a separate issue from arguing that his position since entering the campaign hasn’t been deportation of illegals. What do you think all the heat he took from the media for the first two months of his campaign was all about? His comments from 2012?
Also interesting that you would claim Cruz supports deportation because he opposed the Dream Act. Opposition to the Dream Act was support for the status quo. If deportation is the status quo, then why are we even discussing it? The problem isn’t the law. Deportation is the current penalty for illegal immigration, and has been for years. The problem is, our politicians don’t want to enforce the law. The Dream Act was an attempt to give official approval to our de facto current policy of non-deportation. Supporting the status quo does not mean one supports deportation enforcement. If the status quo was deportation enforcement, we wouldn’t have 11 million + illegals in our country.
Cruz has supported a different approach from the Dream Act. Border enforcement first, and then ‘a discussion’, which by his comments, seems to mean some form of legalization, rather than deportation.
I was directly responding to the assertion that it was Trump who brought deportation into focus— that it wasn’t mentioned prior to Trump’s entry into the race in June. I chose to refute this with statements from Sen. Cruz and Mr. Trump showing that Cruz discussed ending deportation relief—even threatened to shut down the government (again!) to stop it, while Trump’s comments about deportation prior to this year have been to call it maniacal. In other words: Trump didn’t start or even re-start talk about deportation, it’s been part of the conservative lexicon all this time.
Oppsition to the Dream Act was not support for the status quo. By advocating the end of Sactuary city and DREAMer amnesty, Cruz was de facto arguing that they be deported.
As for Cruz’s comments regarding deportation, I’ll leave you with this quote: “The President cannot pick and choose which laws he enforces. The penalty for being here illegally is deportation. As President I will enforce the law.”
Thank you for your response. I need to grab some sleep now, but will reply to any further comments come morning. God Bless you and yours.