Ted Cruz knocks Scott Walker on immigration

Washington Examiner ^ | 4/24/2015 | Drucker

[VinL]

Sen. Ted Cruz on Friday took a shot at rival presidential contender Scott Walker for comments the Wisconsin governor has made regarding immigration policy.

Cruz opposes comprehensive immigration reform that includes a path to citizenship for the estimated 11-12 million illegal immigrants living in the United States. But the Texan is a big proponent of legal immigration and making adjustments to U.S. law that would facilitate more legal immigration. He criticized Walker for suggesting that he supported limiting legal immigration if it has a negative impact on the wages of American workers.

"There is considerable bipartisan agreement outside of Washington that we need to improve and streamline legal immigration so that we can remain a nation that welcomes and celebrates legal immigrants," Cruz said in an interview with the Washington Examiner during a brief campaign swing through Las Vegas.after cost estimates came in higher than anticipated.

I think it is a mistake for any politician to on the one hand embrace amnesty, embrace a pathway to citizenship for those who are here illegally, and on the other hand seek to restrict or punish legal immigrants," Cruz continued. "I am the son of an immigrant who came legally from Cuba. [President Ronald] Reagan referred to legal immigrants as Americans by choice and there is no stronger advocate of legal immigration in the U.S. Senate than I am."

"I think the right approach is to secure the border, follow the rule of law and embrace and improve legal immigration," Cruz said.

Walker has conceded a change of heart on immigration policy as he gears up to launch a 2016 presidential bid. The governor, 47, previously supported a pathway to legal status for illegal immigrants. Now he is opposed. Supporting a pathway to legalization or citizenship could be problematic for a Republican candidate seeking his party's White House nomination.

But in a recent interview with conservative talk show host Glenn Beck, Walker appeared to move farther to the right on immigration than even amnesty hawks like Cruz. Here's what Walker said, as reported by Breitbart. (read more)

[Lurkinanloomin]

agree

[TexasFreeper2009]

Beware hit and run liberals trying to stir up the pot so to speak.

Anyone paying attention knows Ted Cruz will do more to fight illegal immigration than any candidate running will ever actually do (regardless of what they are now saying)

Walker in my opinion felt compelled to go far to the right in hopes of appearing stronger of the issue than he has historically been. But may have gone to far, and judging from many of the comments on this board since they other day, he didn't even convince many he really meant it and was being accused by many here of flip flopping on the issue.

I will give Walker a little benefit of the doubt on this particular issue, but I don't believe for a moment he would actually be to the right of Cruz on this issue if he were elected.

[DoughtyOne]

I agree, and Frankly I think Cruz is wrong to suggest more legal immigration. The one thing going for him the liar doesn’t, is at least he tells the truth.

[kabar]

We now see the true colors of Cruz. We don't need more LEGAL IMMIGRATION. We take in 1.1 million LEGAL PERMANENT IMMIGRANTS ANNUALLY--more than the rest of the world combined. Since 1990 30 MILLION LEGAL PERMANENT IMMIGRANTS HAVE ENTERED THIS COUNTRY.

We have a surplus of labor. We have the lowest labor participation rates in 38 years. American jobs are being taken by immigrants and they are depressing wages.

Jeff Sessions summed it up this way:

In 1970, fewer than 1 in 21 United States residents were born abroad. Five years from today, the Census Bureau estimates that more than one in seven United States residents will have been born abroad. Eight years from today, the share of the population that is foreign-born will rise above any level ever before recorded and keep surging.

It defies reason to argue that the record admission of new foreign workers has no negative effect on the wages of American workers, including the wages of past immigrants hoping to climb into the middle class. Why would many of the largest business groups in the United States spend millions lobbying for the admission of more foreign workers if such policies did not cut labor costs?

The New York Times once plainly acknowledged as much, writing in a 2000 editorial: “Between about 1980 and 1995, the gap between the wages of high school dropouts and all other workers widened substantially. Prof. George Borjas of Harvard estimates that almost half of this trend can be traced to immigration of unskilled workers.”

Since that sentence was published, another 18 million immigrants have arrived in the United States, while the share of Americans in the work force has declined almost five percentage points.

Reuters says Americans, by a nearly 3-to-1 margin, wish to see immigration reduced, not increased. Policy makers and voters should be openly discussing this issue of national interest. Efforts to intimidate Americans into silence will no longer work.

[Lurkinanloomin]

That number is much much higher

---

Likely three times that

[odawg]

“...there is no stronger advocate of legal immigration in the U.S. Senate than I am.” - Cruz

The number of legal immigrants allowed into the United States per year is over ONE MILLION. Should not Cruz’s views on immigration be guided by what is best for perpetuating the American identity, rather than some sentimental memory of his Cuban heritage? Walker is right; all immigration should be guided by the nation’s ability to assimilate - the way it has been handled historically.

[kabar]

We’ll see what happens, but to come out against LEGAL immigration is a hard position to sell.

Walker isn't against legal immigration. He wants to reduce the numbers. The majority of Americans agree with him.

[DoughtyOne]

I believe Cruz is wrong to urge more legal immigration, but at least the guy isn’t lying about what his policy is.

[kabar]

So you agree with Cruz that legal immigration should be increased?

[DoughtyOne]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3282839/posts?page=28#28

[Dagnabitt]

Too bad, I had hoped that Cruz was not just another politician trying to turn my homeland into a third world cesspool. Guess I was wrong. Not only does the Texas/Tejas Senator not want to slow the third-world influx, he wants to increase it.

He's off my list.

[ansel12]

Legal immigration is what destroyed America and what makes it impossible to ever recover, and what has erased us as a nation and erased our culture, and it is why we are erasing the history we teach in schools as we become the world’s international state.

Who do you think the American left and the democrat part is, the native population of 1965?

[Render]

If he’s off your list, then who remains on your list?

[knarf]

The only way to "facilitate" legal immagration is to lessen the cost and paperwork

Liza is $690.00 away from citizenship.
She's been probed, investigated here and in the Philippines, questioned and taxed (they call 'em fees) and the bottom line is .... legal immagration is basically a breeze (pain in the ass breeze ... but a breeze nonetheless)

Pay your money, fill out the forms, say yes sir and no sir ... wait their time, and you're a citizen

I think it works well ... Liza is not a threat and a good human being ... that's all a nation can and should ask for.

So when I hear comprehensive and facilitate ... all I can think of is less expensive or free ... and neither, imo ... not because I've paid and I think it might be unfair ... but because if it means something to you ... you'll pay ... and if they GIVE citizenship away ... I'll do me best to foment an uprising no one wants to see

Pissed off Filipina's are a force to be reckoned with

[dowcaet]

I think it’s a reasonable goal. I think we have to be realize that neither Walker or Cruz, if elected, will order a mass deportation of illegals, so that’s why a moratorium is needed. Thirty years gives us the time to strengthen our security on our borders, harbors, airports, and other ports of entry if we have the political will to do it. We know the Hispanic activists will bitch and whine like crazy but it’s their people, for the most part, who make up the bulk of the illegal population, and are mainly responsible for the immigration crisis that troubles us today.

[VanDeKoik]

“Legal immigration is what destroyed America...”

Aaaaaaaand I stopped reading right there.

Have you ever picked up, and read, an actual American history book?

“Who do you think the American left and the democrat part is, the native population of 1965?”

Who do you think the American right consists of? Try examining the last names of some of them.

[Dagnabitt]

No thanks. I prefer someone who doesn’t want to accelerate changing all of America into California.

[kabar]

We have had this discussion before. Walker has changed his position. But that is now a distraction with Obama legalizing the illegal aliens now. By 2016, it will no longer be the issue.

Legal immigration has a far greater impact on this country than illegal aliens. Unless we reduce legal immigration, this country is finished. We have just had the two largest decades of legal immigration in American history. Some politician has to have the nads to say that legal immigration must have some correlation with our job needs and the impact they have on American workers. Cruz wants to increase the flood of foreign workers further destroying the middle class in this country. I have said that I would support Walker or Cruz. For me, Cruz has crossed the Rubicon along with the rest of the GOPe who want to satisfy their corporate paymasters. I will not vote for him.

[knarf]

just read your #10

[knarf]

wayback machine is stuck