Secure the Border to Protect American Interests (Ted Cruz's OpEd)

Conservative Review ^ | November 20th, 2015 | Ted Cruz

[Isara]

Last week I introduced a bold immigration plan to secure the border, restore the rule of law, and reform legal immigration in a way that protects Americans. My plan safeguards Americans’ jobs and fortifies our national security. Just hours after I announced the plan, the need to secure the border became all the more evident as ISIS coordinated multiple, gruesome attacks on Paris and Beirut.

I have stood with millions of Americans who understand the dangers of a porous national border, the foolhardiness of President Obama’s amnesty, and the lunacy of accepting tens of thousands of Syrian refugees. Americans see the crushing economic consequences of low-skill labor flooding our job market every day.  But the atrocities in Paris and Beirut spur us to fight even harder to protect not only American workers, but also vital national security interests.

The American people are tired of living in a country with the lowest work-force participation since the Carter Administration. The Obama administration is currently enabling those here illegally to live and work in the shadows, which endangers illegal immigrants and harms Americans, especially low-wage earners. To avoid this, we must put in place a strong E-Verify system to uphold the law and stop allowing companies to deduct illegal immigrants’ salaries as a business expense, and we must prevent illegal immigrants from receiving taxpayer-funded government benefits. When it comes to visas, we must stop enticing those who come legally to overstay their visas indefinitely. An estimated 40 percent of illegal immigrants currently in the United States originally came legally, but are overstaying their visas. That’s wrong; it’s an abuse of America’s generosity, and it’s hurting American workers. 

It’s time to enforce the border and the law, fully implement a biometric entry-exit system, and make sure those who come to the United States are not putting Americans at a disadvantage. I will halt any increase in legal immigration so long as American unemployment remains unacceptably high. Additionally, with numerous reports of companies like Disney and Toys ‘R’ Us using the H-1B program to replace American workers with cheap labor, I will suspend all H-1B visas for 180 days to investigate and audit allegations of abuse. 

A Cruz administration will put American interests first, not only in the marketplace but also on the international stage.  For the past six and a half years, we have suffered the consequences of living under an Obama-Clinton foreign policy of leading from behind. And as we witnessed the utter barbarism descend upon Paris and Beirut, it is not lost on Americans that President Obama’s strategy of appeasement has emboldened our enemies. 

President Obama may be tired of war, but our enemies are not tired of trying to kill Americans and others who represent freedom. ISIS plans to come to America. We must be vigilant in defending the United States’ interests, and that starts with blocking those seeking to hurt Americans from reaching our soil.  

A porous border tempts terrorists to set foot in our homeland. A lax visa entry-exit system invites enemies—like the 9/11 hijackers—to hide in our communities.  More than 340 “sanctuary cities” and jurisdictions lure murderers and crooks to roam our streets. And a leader who refuses to enforce the rule of law creates a void that criminals and evildoers are eager to fill, as we have witnessed again and again on the world stage.

In an era when Radical Islamic terrorists spew their hatred of Christianity and Western Civilization, we cannot afford to allow thousands of unknown Syrians to flood our borders without assurance that not a one of them is intent on harming Americans. Congress should act immediately to prevent President Obama from making us more vulnerable, and I have sent a letter to top Obama officials asking them to detail to the American people how exactly they are verifying that of the tens of thousands of incoming refugees none has ties to ISIS or other terror groups. They have not answered the question because they cannot; as U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service official Matthew Emrich told Sen. Sessions, there is no computer database ready to identify potential radicals among the refugees.

In order to protect our citizens from this threat, I have introduced the Terrorist Refugee Infiltration Prevention Act, which bars refugees from entering the United States who are coming from countries such as Syria and Iraq that are actively controlled by terrorist organizations. The bill provides one narrow exception for those who prove that they are victims of genocide and undergo the highest level of security screening. 

In 2017, if I am elected president, I will focus any future refugee relief on those being systematically persecuted for their faith and will guard against national security threats. In addition to my detailed immigration plan, in order to guard against acts of terrorism, I have introduced the Expatriate Terrorist Act, which makes joining or fighting for ISIS a surrender of American citizenship. Additionally, in order to shield citizens from violent illegal criminals, I have also introduced Kate’s Law to impose mandatory five-year minimum sentencing on illegal criminals who re-enter the United States. As president, I intend to sign both bills into law. I will secure the border once and for all, and make it impossible for anyone, including and especially those who seek to do harm, to enter or remain here illegally. 

It’s past time to secure the border, to make the law mean what it says, and to ensure that our own immigration system does not open the door to economic hardship, crime, or terrorism. We know how to strengthen our immigration system and how to once again put American interests first. We simply lack the political will to get it done. As president, I will not waste a day. I will immediately rescind all of the Obama administration’s lawless executive actions on immigration. I will stop Obama’s amnesty. I will restore the rule of law. And I will dedicate time and resources to protecting Americans’ jobs and security. 

[Isara]

FYI

[ConservativeMind]

Additionally, with numerous reports of companies like Disney and Toys ‘R’ Us using the H-1B program to replace American workers with cheap labor, I will suspend all H-1B visas for 180 days to investigate and audit allegations of abuse.

‘Prior to increasing all H1-B numbers by 500% because we need to strengthen America!’

http://www.cruz.senate.gov/?p=press_release&id=137

[gov_bean_ counter]

Give it up.

[Pelham]

Deport illegals and impose an immigration moratorium to protect America’s interests.

What’s left of them.

[TLI]

May 14, 2013.

Really?

A few things have changed since then...

.

[Caipirabob]

These are common sense things to do to protect Americans. Why is it such a reach for the left to embrace common sense? I know...It's because they want to see us destroyed, the end of Western civilization and 2,000 years of Christian prosperity driven into extinction.

Hopefully some of them can be salvaged.

[Axeslinger]

F’em
Got no time for those who’ve been destroying my country. May posterity forget they were our countrymen.

[DoughtyOne]

Last week?

How long as Cruz been in office, and last week he finally introduced a bill.

Thanks Ted.

[ConservativeMind]

He hasn’t seen it as a problem until last week.

He did see that the paltry number of H1-Bs needed to be increased, though.

[DoughtyOne]

Thankfully he seems to be mid recant on that issue.

[American Constitutionalist]

You guys are to much, really.

So when is Trump going to recant on importing H-1Bs for his own companies ?

Wait, he can’t , he’s got to make that cheap labor express money some how.

[crosdaddy]

So how many H1-b’s do Trump companies employ? Is it significant?

[American Constitutionalist]

Typical of Trump supporters... So typical indeed.

Condemn Ted Cruz for some phantom legislation of a increase of % 500’000’000’000’000 gazillion H-1Bs but yet totally ignore the document FACT that Trump’s very own companies sought 1’000 H-1Bs.

You guys look very very small to come on Ted Cruz threads and spew this propaganda while Trump is doing the very thing you condemn Ted Cruz for.

There is a word for that .... Hypocrisy....

But hey ! Never let truth in the way of your agendas.. That’s the Trump’s way, win at all cost.

The means justify the end.

[American Constitutionalist]

It’s the PRINCIPLE of the whole thing.

His companies sought for 1,000 H-1Bs in which the Trump supporter choose to ignore, while at the same time condemn Ted Cruz for some phantom proposed legislation.

Trump is actually doing the very thing they condemn others for.

[DoughtyOne]

You guys are to much, really.

So when is Trump going to recant on importing H-1Bs for his own companies ?

Wait, he can't , he's got to make that cheap labor express money some how.

Gotta hand it to you, you really scored yuge there.  /s  LOL

Yes, his companies did try to import 1,100 employees.  Over 180 months, he tried to bring in 1,100 people.  The article I'm referencing says most of these requests were approved.

Here's how the article stated the facts:

Trump owns companies that have sought to import at least 1,100 foreign workers on temporary visas since 2000, according to U.S. Department of Labor data reviewed by Reuters. Most of the applications were approved, the data show.

Temporary workers.  Over fifteen years his organization imported 73 per year on average, and they were only temps.

For the record, I don't think we should be hiring foreign workers.  That being said, we're talking 1.4 workers per week out of a corporation that has 22,500 employees.

Over a period of fifteen years, Trumps companies asked for 1,100 people.  That is supposed to make me change my mind and not support him any longer?

We let in about 100,000 H-1B people per year.  The article said 104,000 in 2013.

Of those 1,100 foreign nationals his companies requested, 250 were for foreign models.  Models are not 9-5 long term employees.  They are temporary employees.  They may have only worked a week or two.

This is nothing but ankle biter stuff.

Contrast that with another canidate that sought to increase the yearly H-1B quota of 100,000 to between 300,000 and 500,000 per year.  73 vs 300,000 on the low end.  Which is worse, one guy whose massive corporation imports 73 temps per year or another guy that planned to arrange for 300 to 500 thosuand of such imports per year.

Why would you bring up a topic where the candidate you support is at a minimum 200,000 to 73 worse?

Go back to Reinse and tell him he needs better material.  This is just pathetic.

[trebb]

‘Prior to increasing all H1-B numbers by 500% because we need to strengthen America!’

Sigh - make yourself useful and donate to whoever and whatever you believe it - if not capable of deciding what you believe it (vs. what you believe against), just give some extra to FR...

Now for a short public service announcement to all on FR:
I prefer Cruz and my money goes to his campaign, hence the Cruz link. If you like someone else, donate to him/her (find your own link to do it) and if you use FR and don't donate, then please don't complain about the welfare leeches or those who have Obama Phones because, functionally, you are no different than any other FReeloader

PS - If you are one of those who cannot afford even a small donation to FR or a candidate, God Bless and happy FReeping!.....

GO CRUZ!! Keep it up Trump!!

Donate to FR

Donate to Cruz

Donate to FR

[ConservingFreedom]

H-1B ping. Let me know if you're not on the list and want to be added (or are and want to be removed).

[dirtboy]

I was critical of Cruz over this. He has shifted his view and I am OK with his stance on it.

[khelus]

He hasn’t seen it as a problem until last week.

He did see that the paltry number of H1-Bs needed to be increased, though.

Cruz very skillfully used language to disguise the fact that after the very temporary hold during which there will be a dog and pony show hearing, he was all for continuing importing the same number of H-1B's regardless of the employment situation

Cruz's big change of heart is that if some fuzzy metrics such as unemployment 'too high' are met he would not support INCREASING the Number of H-1B's,

What a guy

[khelus]

May 14, 2013.

Really?

A few things have changed since then...

H-1B's have been used to replace american workers who were forced to train them as a condition of getting seveance since the mid 1990's. Cruz's Road to Damascus conversion is a tad on the late side.

By 2001 there was negative job growth for american STEM workers. More H-1B's were imported than new STEM jobs created.