Thread: Cruz: Immigration reform shouldn’t include path to citizenship

Posted: Tuesday, September 3, 2013 7:27 pm
Dave Hendricks | The Monitor


Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, talks to the media about border issues, President Barack Obama, health care and Syria during a news conference Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2013, at the Anzalduas International Bridge in Mission. photo by Gabe Hernandez

MISSION — America’s broken immigration system needs tweaks, including more visas for high-skilled workers and higher quotas for legal migrants, but shouldn’t include a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants, said U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, speaking Tuesday during his first official visit to the Rio Grande Valley.

Cruz blamed President Barack Obama and Senate Democrats — who have advocated for creating a path to citizenship for people who entered the United States illegally or overstayed their visas — for stalling bipartisan border security and immigration reform proposals.

“I do not support a path to citizenship for those who are here illegally because, first of all, I think it’s profoundly unfair to the millions of legal immigrants who followed the rules, who waited in line and came here using our legal immigration system,” Cruz said, speaking at the Anzalduas International Bridge. “But secondly, a path to citizenship does not have the votes to pass the House of Representatives. I believe the Obama White House knows that, and unfortunately their focus has been on trying to gain partisan advantage in 2014 — or 2016 — in the elections, rather than on solving the problems.”

Tuesday marked Cruz’s first official Valley visit since taking office eight months ago.

The Rio Grande Valley Partnership hosted Cruz at the Cimarron Country Club, where he advocated rolling back burdensome regulations, repealing the Affordable Care Act and abolishing the Internal Revenue Service.

“Our tax code is far too complicated. Far too burdensome. You know there are more words in the IRS code than there are in the Bible? And not one of them is as good,” Cruz said, drawing chuckles from the audience. “Does anyone know the shortest scripture in the Bible? Jesus wept. The IRS is producing a whole lot of weeping.”

About 280 people attended the sold-out luncheon. Eight-person tables cost $500 each and the Rio Grande Valley Partnership sold all 35 within a week-and-a-half, said Rachel Reyes, the organization’s marketing and events director.

The crowd included Mission Mayor Norberto “Beto” Salinas, IBC Bank-McAllen President R. David Guerra, two Harlingen boy scouts and Rio Grande City Mayor Ruben Villarreal, among others. The room buzzed about Cruz’s speech and possible presidential aspirations.

“His vision sounded very presidential,” Villarreal said. “The presentation wasn’t coming from just a senator; he has a vision for the entire country and I think that came across very strongly.”

Brooks County rancher Mike Vickers purchased a table and invited several people, including a Border Patrol agent and fellow ranchers from Jim Hogg County, to Mission for Cruz’s speech.

“He checks with us on a weekly basis to get caught up on the problems that ranchers like us are dealing with, with the human and drug smugglers crossing through our property,” Vickers said, adding that he wants Cruz to run for president. “And all of us hope that in 2016 we get another Ronald Regan in there — and it’s him.”

Afterward, Cruz took a whirlwind tour of Border Patrol’s McAllen Station, visited the Hidalgo-Reynosa International Bridge and stopped by the Hidalgo County Water Improvement District 3 pump station. Cruz also met with Customs and Border Protection Commander Robert Harris, who oversees South Texas, and Chief Patrol Agent Rosendo Hinojosa, who heads the Border Patrol’s Rio Grande Valley Sector.

A last-minute briefing on Syria forced Cruz to cancel a planned Tuesday river tour with the Texas Department of Public Safety, which patrols the Rio Grande with heavily armed boats, and a visit to Laredo that was slated for Wednesday.

http://oneoldvet.com/

http://www.themonitor.com/news/local...9bb30f31a.html

I'm glad Senator Cruz put Amnesty back up on the Radar.

Senator Ted Cruz visits the Valley

VIDEO AT LINK

Alex Stockwell
Reporter

UPDATED: Wednesday, September 4, 2013 - 9:17am

MISSION, TX (KVEO NEWS CENTER 23) — Senator Ted Cruz made a trip to South Texas to discuss his views on current affairs and other issues.

One of the most outspoken topics of the day: the negative impact of Obamacare on the nation.

"The most important regulatory reform we can do is de-funding and ultimately repealing Obamacare," said Cruz. "Obamacare is the number one job killer in this country."

According to the senator, the reason so many people in the Valley can't afford health insurance is because it's too expensive, and that an improvement in the economy is necessary.

"We need to bring back economic growth so that we can expand opportunity for everyone," Cruz asserted. "The most important reason growth matters is its foundational for the opportunity of this nation for everyone to have a chance to achieve the American dream."

Senator Cruz commented on the massive rise of illegal immigrants over the past three decades, and says that his plan to increase security at the border will limit the amount of illegal aliens entering the country.

"The amendments I introduced number one would have focused on actually securing the border, solving the problem of illegal immigration. Every senate Democrat in the judiciary committee voted against it."

While the Democrats didn't support this proposal, Senator Cruz disagrees with the Democrats on granting amnesty for current illegal immigrants living in the U.S.

"I do not support a path to citizenship for those who are here illegally because I think it's profoundly unfair to the millions of legal immigrants who followed the rules, who waited in line and came here using our legal immigration system," said Cruz.

Senator Cruz argues that the single greatest impediment to passing illegal immigration reform is President Obama.

http://www.kveo.com/news/senator-ted-cruz-visits-valley

Added first article above to the Homepage:
http://www.alipac.us/content.php?r=2...to-citizenship