JCB...if you will allow me to offer this alternative view, that Natural Born Citizen means having been a citizen at birth, as opposed to having later acquired citizenship through the immigration and naturalization process. If this is correct, that would mean that being born on a certain soil is not the key factor, Which would mean that the parental status would rule, not the soil of birth.
In terms of his parents’ citizenship status...I read that his mother was unquestionably an American at her birth, and that his Cuban father had become a citizen by the immigration and naturalization process by the time Cruz was born.
I have read those here who insist that both parents have to be citizens in order to confer citizenhip on the child. I don’t know the truth of this, but that was at issue with some in regard to Obama’s eligibility.
Others I’ve read say that only the birth Mother has to be a citizen in order to confer natural-born citizenship on the child, if she is at least 18 yrs of age.
In any event, I encourage everyone to withhold judgement on this until we know absolutely. Also to keep in mind that legal expert Mr. Cruz himself has replied, when asked, that he believes he is eligible.
(In terms of being born on a certain soil...we know about anchor babies. A woman who is not a citizen, comes to America and gives birth and the child is considered a citizen by being born on this soil. I have seen this disputed...not everyone agrees that these should be considered citizens, but regardless, a child in this situation is NOT a natural born citizen eligible to run for President. The parental status would rule against that, even if you accept the anchor baby concept.)
Again, this is contrary to the 14th. The only ones who qualified for natural born citizenship under the 14th, made those born on what retroactively became US territory citizens of the United States from birth. This is why the 14th is so important.
The 14th is very clear that for someone to become a natural born citizen that they must be born either in territory controlled by the US, (ie, Guam, the Canal Zone), at the time of their birth, or they are born in one of the 50 states, or they were born in territory controlled by the US on the date of the 14th amendment’s passage and were grandfathered, much as the Founders had been earlier.
Cruz does not fulfill this condition as a natural born citizen. He is a citizen, a naturalized citizen, but not one who is natural born.
“In terms of being born on a certain soil...we know about anchor babies. A woman who is not a citizen, comes to America and gives birth and the child is considered a citizen by being born on this soil. I have seen this disputed...not everyone agrees that these should be considered citizens, but regardless, a child in this situation is NOT a natural born citizen eligible to run for President.”
You might consider the child not a natural born citizen. The 14th says otherwise.