Cruz is for the legalization of those already here:
Snippet from the article:
What has not been as evident is what he supports: legal status for millions of people here already, while making it easier for immigrants to come here through the front door.
Then I guess I’m voting for nobody.
I will not cave for the lesser of evils. Evil is still that and this country will be destroyed by illegals.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/13/us/cruz-tries-to-claim-the-middle-ground-on-immigration.html?pagewanted=all
Snippet from the article:
What has not been as evident is what he supports: legal status for millions of people here already, while making it easier for immigrants to come here through the front door.
Sen. Cruz has never been in favor of adjusting (legalizing) the status of those here illegally. The September 2013 NYT article you cite puts words in his mouth. It was not a quote; it was the NYT's interpretation, intended to suppress the conservative base. I challenge you to find a quote from Sen. Cruz that says what the NYT says above. Sen. Cruz's proposed amendment to the 2013 Gang of Eight Senate immigration bill, wherein he merely removed a pathway to citizenship, was a tactic to lay bare the hypocrisy of the Democrats, not a policy statement.
For conservatives, Sen. Cruz is head and shoulders above any other potential Republican candidate on the topic of immigration.