Ted Cruz -- Perry backer-- denounces instate tuition for illegal immigrants

dallasnews.com
By Todd J. Gillman/Reporter
5:32 PM on Mon., Oct. 31, 2011
Video @ link

Ted Cruz, the conservative Hispanic lawyer running for Texas' open U.S. Senate seat, used that ABC interview earlier today to put serious distance between himself and Gov. Rick Perry over one of the policies that has dogged the governor: Perry's defense of instate college tuition for illegal immigrants who live in Texas.

"I am enthusiastically supporting Rick Perry," Cruz said, noting that he endorsed Perry the day the governor entered the GOP race for president. "I thought and think he is the strongest conservative who can win the nomination."

But as for instate tuition, Cruz takes much the same view as Mitt Romney and Perry's other rivals, who reject Perry's view that Texas made the right call by helping young illegal immigrants gain the education needed to become productive taxpayers, rather than deciding to "kick them to the curb."

"There are a number of issues on which I disagree with Rick Perry, and instate tuition for illegal immigrants is one of them, "Cruz said. "I don't agree with him on that and I think most Texans don't agree with him either. I think that's a position where to my mind, we have a crisis with illegal immigration. We need to get serious about securing the border and it doesn't make any sense to give special preferences and privileges to those who are here illegally."

That's got to sting.

Instate tuition comes up at 4:00 into the clip.

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