Senator Cruz’s campaign spokeswoman Catherine Frazier told us Cruz’s goal in the Gang of Eight amendment was three fold: to get Senators on the record showing where they stood on the issue, that it was a good faith effort to improve the bill, and to stop a pathway to citizenship. Frazier explained it was not intended to suggest support for legalization.
“Cruz supports strengthening the border and fixing our legal immigration and interior enforcement systems before we deal with those who are here illegally,” Frazier said. “It’s premature to discuss what to do with those who are still here illegally until we have made these reforms. Indicating that there may be the potential for amnesty in the future, only encourages more illegal immigration.”
Frazier reiterated Senator Cruz’s consistency on the issue, that the Senator is in favor of expanding legal immigration, and that he vocally opposes President Obama’s executive immigration overreach.
While MSNBC’s claim that Senator Cruz has not specifically detailed his stance on legalizing undocumented immigrants is true, the inference that he supports legalization, is false.
Cruz's goal in proposing the amendment to the 2013 Gang of Eight bill that removed the pathway to citizenship for illegals, was to flush out the duplicity of Democrats. The Democrats wanted the votes of these prospective new citizens, but could not admit it, claiming they cared for the welfare of illegals. Cruz said fine, give them status, but deny them citizenship. The Democrats were caught in their lie. I thought that it was a brilliant tactic.
I understand that Cruz opposes a path to citizenship. My point is that Cruz was willing to vote for the Gang of Eight bill, which gave legal status to illegals (short of citizenship). I am against such legal status, and am in favor of the position I set forth in my article.
From my article:
“Sen. Cruz stated in his press release that he is “confident my proposed amendments will effectively address the current problems with this bill.” If his proposed amendments would have “effectively address[ed] the current problems with” the bill, there does not seem to have been any reason for Sen. Cruz to have voted against the bill if his proposed amendments had been adopted. Apparently Sen. Cruz did not see any problem with the bill giving illegal immigrants legal status, so long as it would be a status less than citizenship.”
As I state in my article: “Sen. Cruz is America’s last hope for a credible border.” I hope he agrees with my position, as expressed in the article. But I don’t know if he does. The point of the article is to get him to state his position.
I noticed at the recent post at Legal Insurrection (http://legalinsurrection.com/2015/03/ted-cruz-disputes-msnbc-claim-he-supports-legalization-of-illegal-immigrants/), the following two paragraphs:
“Senator Cruz’s campaign spokeswoman Catherine Frazier told us Cruz’s goal in the Gang of Eight amendment was three fold: to get Senators on the record showing where they stood on the issue, that it was a good faith effort to improve the bill, and to stop a pathway to citizenship. Frazier explained it was not intended to suggest support for legalization.”
“Cruz supports strengthening the border and fixing our legal immigration and interior enforcement systems before we deal with those who are here illegally,” Frazier said. “It’s premature to discuss what to do with those who are still here illegally until we have made these reforms. Indicating that there may be the potential for amnesty in the future, only encourages more illegal immigration.”
There are two problems with what Frazier said. First, she said that Cruz’s Gang of Eight proposed amendment “was not intended to suggest support for legalization.” It may not have been intended to do so, but Cruz’s Press Release about his proposed amendments stated that his “proposed amendments will effectively address the current problems with this bill.” As I explain in my article, this means that Cruz was supporting legalization to a status less than citizenship. Frazier is being disingenuous here. Cruz should step in quickly and correct here and clearly state his full position.
Secondly, Frazier said: “It’s premature to discuss what to do with those who are still here illegally until we have made these reforms.” It is not premature. Present law requires their deportation, in most cases. There is no authority for the President to suspend enforcement while we wait for true border enforcement. Is Frazier saying that if Cruz becomes President he will not do anything regarding the illegals presently here until he gets the border truly controlled? I am hoping that is not Cruz’s position. Again, Cruz needs to step in now and deal with this issue and Frazier’s statements.
I don’t think there is any significant chance that any of the other candidates would agree with me. Perhaps, Rick Santorum, but I am not sure he is running. Cruz might do so. But I don’t know.