On Immigration, Cruz Aims for Middle Ground

The Texas Tribune ^ | Sept. 13, 2013 | Julián Aguilar and Jay Root

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[Yosemitest]

I don;pt believe TED CRUZ has CHANGED his position from the very start.
Read his "On the Issues" answers below.


They can't stop CRUZ.
Source:

... Cruz even indicated he would back deporting those who came here illegally -- another proposal he has usually rebuffed.

"I would enforce the law," Cruz said, explaining that he would first deport criminals without proper papers.
"Federal immigration law provides that
if someone is here illegally and is apprehended,
that they should be sent back to their home country."

Cruz has recently begun stressing that he believes the number of undocumented immigrants would decrease with strict border enforcement.
...

"The only people I'm under fire from are reporters who want to throw rocks," Cruz said in Harlan.
"Once we've demonstrated that we can solve the problem, then we can have a conversation about what to do about whatever people remain illegally."

The Rubio campaign ...
"He has attempted to muddy the waters," Cruz said on the stage. "Where there was a battle over amnesty
and some chose, like Sen. Rubio to stand with Barack Obama and Chuck Schemer
and support a massive amnesty plan.
Others chose to stand with Jeff Sessions and Steve King and the American people
and secure the border."

Let's get VERY CLEAR on TED CRUZ and Immigration:

Immigration

As the son of a Cuban immigrant, Sen. Cruz celebrates LEGAL immigration.
He has championed measures
to secure the border,
reform the LEGAL immigration system,
and uphold the rule of law.

Americans, and particularly Texans, have witnessed the harmful effects of an unsecure border,
endangering the lives both of citizens and those who enter illegally.
President Obama's policies have encouraged drug smugglers, child abusers, murderers, and other dangerous criminals to traffick immigrant children into our nation under life-threatening conditions.
In the summer of 2013 we witnessed a humanitarian crisis at our Southern Border, propelled by PROMISES OF AMNESTY FROM THE WHITE HOUSE .
Immigrants deserve a better system in which they will be welcomed to the United States safely and with dignity.

As a critical step to protecting families and inviting more people to enter LEGALLY, in 2014, Sen. Cruz proposed legislation TO PREVENT OBAMA FROM ILLEGALLY EXPANDING AMNESTY .
The House acted to solve the ongoing crisis and passed bills that closely mirrored Sen. Cruz's proposals,
but regrettably the Senate DemocRATS REFUSED TO ALLOW A VOTE on the measures.

In 2013, Sen. Cruz proposed amendments to the "Gang of 8" bill that would
strengthen border security,
expand green card opportunities,
increase high-skilled “H1B” visas, PREVENT ILLEGAL ALIENS FROM RECEIVING WELFARE BENEFITS ,
and enforce the rule of law.

ALSO from On The Issues :

Ted Cruz on Immigration

End Obama's illegal amnesty via Congress' checks & balances
Q: How to respond to the split within your party on immigration?
What you're saying is
that the Republicans should vote to fund the governments for all departments except one:
no funding for the Department of Homeland Security,
which handles immigration, rescinding President Obama's executive action,
and if he vetoes that, he's responsible for shutting down the department.
The problem is
that's almost exactly what you did with the government shutdown across the entire government in 2013 with ObamaCare,
and it backfired badly on your party.

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

Q: How would you rescind President Obama's executive action on immigration?

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 VITALl 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.
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 .


No path to citizenship for 1.65 million illegals in Texas

When discussing what to do about the 1.65 million ILLEGAL immigrants living in Texas, . . . CRUZ again said
HE DID NOT SUPPORT A PATH TO CITIZENSHIP FOR ILLEGAL immigrants living in America, . . .

Give police more power to ask about immigration status

Cruz accused Dewhurst of using his position as head of the Texas Senate to KILL A BILL last year that would have given police more power to ask anyone they detain about their citizenship status--a charge Dewhurst denied.
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

Border wall: James and Leppert OPPOSE A WALL,
Dewhurst and CRUZ tout "boots on the ground" AND A WALL IN SOME PLACES .


Triple the size of the Border Patrol

CRUZ on immigration: Wants to TRIPLE [the]SIZE of Border Patrol.
Says Dewhurst supported in-state tuition for kids of ILLEGAL immigrants.
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 Cruz has worked to STRENGTHEN BORDER SECURITY and help ensure that America remains a nation of laws.
Among other efforts, he has worked on efforts to INCREASE PENALTIES for felons WHO ENTER THE COUNTRY ILLEGALLY .
Ted authored a U.S. Supreme Court amicus brief on behalf of 10 states in Lopez v. Gonzales,ILLEGALLY .

[Yosemitest]

Let's take a close look at what TED CRUZ said at that time about his amendment to the "Gang of Eight amnesty/ citizenship bill" :

Cruz In 2013 On Providing Legal Status To Illegal Immigrants ( 2:14 )
Published on Nov 12, 2015

U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, Hearing, 5/21/2013:
"And I'd like to make a final point to those advocacy groups that are very engaged in this issue
and rightly concerned about addressing our immigration system
and, in particular, about addressing the situation for the 11 million who are currently in the shadows.
If this amendment is adopted to the current bill, the effect would be that those 11 million under this current bill would still be eligible for RPI status.
They would still be eligible for legal status and indeed, under the terms of the bill, they would be eligible for LPR status as well so that they are out of the shadows,
which the proponents of this bill repeatedly point to as THEIR principal objective to provide a legal status for those who are here illegally to be out of the shadows.
This amendment would allow that happen, ...

"But what it would do, is it would REMOVE the pathway to citizenship, for REAL consequences that RESPECT the RULE OF LAW,
and that treat LEGAL Immigrants with the fairness and respect they deserve,
And a second point to those advocates that are so passionately engaged,
In my view, if this committee rejects this amendment,
and I think everyone here views that it is quite likely that this committee will indeed reject this amendment,

In my view that decision will make it much, much more likely that this entire bill will FAIL in the House of Representatives.

I don't want immigration reform to fail.
I want immigration reform to pass.
And so I would urge people of good faith on both sides of the aisle,
if the objective is to pass common sense immigration reform that SECURES THE BORDERS, that improves LEGAL immigration, and that allows those who are here illegally to come in out of the shadows;
then we should look for areas of bipartisan agreement and compromised to come together.
And this amendment,
I believe, if this amendment were to pass, the chances of this bill passing into law would increase dramatically."

[nathanbedford]

I have looked at Donald Trump's immigration policy paper and did not see any reference to letting people back into the country, although he has firmly stated that is his position. Of course I did not find any reference to what he would do with those people whom he would let back into the country, would they merely have guestworker status, green cards, or full citizenship with voting rights?

Do you have the answers to these questions?

[Greetings_Puny_Humans]

would they merely have guestworker status, green cards, or full citizenship with voting rights?

Well, Trump has not given any details beyond that the "special cases," "outstanding people," etc., should have something worked out for them and should go through a "merit based" system if they seek to return after deportation, which he has not defined. He has only defined the entry of H1B applicants, which must meet new prevailing wage standards in order to come, and businesses must hire from the domestic pool first. I am not too concerned about this since all of this would represent new legislation that would have to pass through Congress, as existing law would ban illegals for 3 years or more, depending on how many times they've been deported. As long as we have someone like Sessions working out the details, I'm fine with whatever deal passes through Congress, provided that America's interest come first. Trump does need to provide more details, but I suspect he keeps it intentionally vague so as to avoid liberal sob stories about little PhD student kids.

[nathanbedford]

Of course you see where I am going with this, as I stand back and try to piece together, or rather dissect, the two plans, I see diminishing differences and I have to ask, as between Trump and Cruz and their bottom lines on immigration, amnesty and citizenship, what is there to quarrel about?

[Greetings_Puny_Humans]

I see diminishing differences

A shame your judgment is marred by a hefty dose of TDS. At least I've gotten you to at least begin conceding that Cruz is lying to you. That's a step in the right direction, at least.

[nathanbedford]

Since your judgment, unlike mine which has been distorted by Cruz derangement syndrome, presumably remains pristine and unimpaired by Trump Derangement Syndrome, perhaps you could explicitly answer the question, are there significant differences in the present postures of the two candidates on immigration?

[Greetings_Puny_Humans]

Since your judgment, unlike mine which has been distorted by Cruz derangement syndrome

I've been one of the few people on this forum talking about Cruz's deception here since I found out. I used to support him long ago. Now, what I figured out months ago, even you are finally accepting as fact, although you're still twisting and turning to minimize the full impact.

I have the derangement syndrome? Nope!

[nathanbedford]

Before we plead mitigation let us at least establish that a crime has been committed.

It appears that both of these candidates have taken different routes dictated by their different roles to get to the same place, or very nearly the same place. No harm, no foul?

If you agree that their positions are substantially the same, (you passed up at least two opportunities to identify differences), then the issue is reduced to whether Cruz lied and, as you say in other words, mitigation of that "crime."

[Greetings_Puny_Humans]

No harm, no foul?

LOL, well, every desperate individual needs to find some means to alleviate their mental suffering. Go with whatever line of argument pleases you best.

[nathanbedford]

You just passed up the third opportunity.

[fg566asd]

Indeed

[CottonBall]

“Legal Status without Deportation = not enforcing immigration laws = amnesty”

There is NO middle ground with immigration - it is done legally or not. There is no semi-legal category.

Trump’s the only one with a conservative illegal immigration plan. I escaped Mexifornia, moving 2300 miles to get rid of the ugliness that millions of 3rd world entitlement-mobs bring. So I’m going with the only candidate that will give us our country back. if I have to write him in, so be it. I will never vote for anything less than NO amnesty, using my (and your) definition. The way everyone but Trump lie about what is amnesty is despicable and doesn’t earn my vote.

[St_Thomas_Aquinas]

Cruz supports enforcing current law, which includes deportation.

It's not hard to find his immigration stance on his web site.

[nathanbedford]

The quotations you provide are very relevant to this current discussion about the alleged lies of Ted Cruz because the statements by Donald Trump appear to repeat exactly the lies alleged to have been made by Ted Cruz.

But whenI sought to open the websites you provide not one of the three was there. Can you help?

[CottonBall]

I have read it, many times. Deportation is only an ‘option ‘, along with others. He’s reluctant to say exactly what he’d do with the millions here. so I am reluctant to vote for him.