Posted on 01/07/2016 11:50:23 AM PST by VinL
GOP presidential candidate Ted Cruz told a young woman who expressed fears that the next president might deport people like her that there are consequences for law breakers.
Cruz's response to Ofelia Valdez, who works for a non-profit that assists children with special needs, drew applause from those attending the Storm Lake, Iowa, event Wednesday. The exchange was captured on video by the Democratic Party, which provided a copy of the video to NBC News Latino. To see the video, click here.
Valdez, 30, identified herself as one of the approximately 700,000 immigrants who arrived or stayed in the country illegally, but have been allowed to remain and work under President Barack Obama's 2012 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
"As a DACA holder myself, I worried about whoever comes next to the presidency and what's going to happen to people like us," Valdez says in the video, her voice sounding nervous. "I think of myself as a part of this community and you know, first day of presidency, you decide to deport, you know, people like myself, you know, it's just very difficult (inaudible)."
Cruz responds that by definition, a DACA recipient was brought to the U.S. illegally "and violating the laws has consequences."
"One of the problems of our broken immigration system is that it is creating human tragedies and and there are human tragedies when people break the law," he said.
He goes on to say other countries deport people who arrive illegally and U.S. laws should be equally respected and the consequences to breaking the law are "part of what makes America what we are."
Reached in Storm Lake by phone, Valdez told NBC News Latino that she had been wanting to hear the candidates and learned in a Google search that Cruz would be in town.
"I didn't know what to expect ... and was surprised when he was talking about things on his list for his first day of his presidency and at the top of the list was to deport immigrants here with DACA," Valdez said. "That's myself."
She told NBC she came to the U.S. at 15; she and her family are from Mexico.
"We are dealing with so much as a country of so much more importance and that is what he is focusing on," she said. "I agree with some of the things he has on his agenda, terrorism and other things the country is experiencing, and then he decides to do deportation as a priority his first days in office."
Valdez said she is a human resources director and oversees 140 people and also is an English as A Second Language instructor. She said she hopes the exchange helps put a face to who is being discussed when candidates talk about illegal immigrants.
"They need to know this is who they talk about when they talk about deportations," she said.
Cruz was flanked at the event by Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, whom he recently named a national co-chair of his campaign. King has tried to pass end the DACA program through legislation and legislative provisions he's drafted and has stirred controversy by comparing immigrants to drug mules and cattle.
Many DACA recipients were brought to the country as young children and have grown up here as the Congress has failed for more than a decade to address their situation. Legislation known as the DREAM Act, which would have provided a path to legal residency or citizenship for many of the immigrants who attended college or served in the military, has failed repeatedly.
Cruz's position on immigration has been under scrutiny because of his previous support for expanding legal immigration avenues. But since he was grilled about his position by Marco Rubio in a GOP presidential debate last month, Cruz has been toughening his stand, which the addition of King to his campaign is helping to demonstrate.
It’s the imaginary “law” that never passed congress.
Good for Cruz! This is why he is my top choice for president.
Who is this "we" she is speaking of? She's a Mexican citizen.
I have a song for this “Dreamer” from Motley Crue - it’s about a Dreamer that goes Home. Home Sweet Home. and that ain’t the USA for her.
You know I’m a dreamer
But my heart’s of gold
I had to run away high
So I wouldn’t come home low
Just when things went right
It doesn’t mean they were always wrong
Just take this song and you’ll never feel
Left all alone
Take me to your heart
Feel me in your bones
Just one more night
And I’m comin’ off this
Long and winding road
I’m on my way
I’m on my way
Home sweet home
Read more: Motley Crue - Home Sweet Home Lyrics | MetroLyrics
Reminds me of how all of last year's illegal immigrants from Central America were described as "children" - many of them looked like they were in their late teens or early 20's. To listen to the MSM's tell the story, you'd think that a bunch of toddlers had crawled their way from Honduras to Texas.
What a crock that statement is! The law is quite clear: If they were brought here illegally, then they are here illegally.
Back before this crap was so commonplace rather than exceptional, congress passed hundreds of special relief bills every year.
The applicant would petition their case to congress with evidence that they wanted to be an American, had American neighbors supporting their position, etc. and volia! Congress would pass a special relief bill giving them a green card, path to citizenship or even citizenship itself as seemed appropriate. These were usually done on a voice vote.
I know this because we had a kid from Taiwan in a neighboring school district when I was in high school. Nice kid, a little slow mentally, but had a strong desire to be an American. He had repeatedly taken and flunked the citizenship test and was working as a custodian/general handyman in the neighboring school district.
Their student council contacted ours and others in the area about writing to our congressman for a special relief bill. We did so and, in due course, the special relief bill was introduced and approved by congress on a voice vote. Everybody agreed that the young man was an asset to the community and was happy about the outcome.
There is not reason the same process wouldn't work today except that gang bangers and entitlement junkies would have a hard time lining up community support. It is so much easier to give them "blanket amnesty" by executive decree.
‘Send her ass home.’
Ditto that!
I have a Dream. Go back to your own country.
Ummmmm, good?
Use your aggressive Feelings Girl, Let the Hate flow through you!
Tell her to stop worrying there will be more than enough green cards and H1B visas for everyone. And if Heidi has her way the borders will be erased along with no “automatic and semi-automatic assault weapons for citizens”
“Valdez, 30, IDENTIFIED HERSELF as one of the approximately 700,000 immigrants who arrived or stayed in the country illegally...”
Not the smartest banana in the bunch.
She is a criminal.
Yep and so are her parents. But hey, they came here for a better life, they are good citizens, don’t do nothing wrong. Wonder who’s identification and social security number they are using.
The poor girl is victim of Micro-aggression(TM). Seems to me that what this calls for is a Safe Space (TM) for her. A Safe Space known as Mexico.
If I was her (I mean literally if I was in another country illegally), and was at risk of being deported, first, I would be grateful no one was talking about putting me in prison or burning my house down, or killing my family, second, I would start trying to make contacts in the country I belonged in. I’m guess Mexico has special needs kids too.
Let’s say I’m in Turkey, even if they changed the laws while I was there making me leave, I wouldn’t like it, but that would be their right. If they let me sale my property and such, I would be grateful. When you’re in a country that you’re not a citizen of, you’re there by permission. If you’re there illegally, you’re an invader.
There were grey haired old men who lied claiming to be teenagers enrolling in high schools to get the Child Refugee status.
The immigration people just shook their heads and said the men had no identity papers so there was no way to prove their true age so their hands were tied and they had to take the illegals word for their age and identity.
So much for through back ground checks.
What about the dreams of American children?
What about the dreams of American Vets returning from war who dream of health care or education?
What about unemployed American workers who dream of obtaining new employment?
I AM SO SICK OF EVERYBODY BENEFITING OFF OUR AMERICAN BACKS!!!!!!!!!!!
We already give away the store as it is!
Stay in your own country and WORK TO MAKE IT great!
Blah blah blah.
STFU.
GTFOOMC.
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