Rubio Campaign Press Release - Fact Check: Ted Cruz Supported a Path to Legalization for Illegal Immigrants

Ted Cruz supported a path to legalization for illegal immigrants. Here are the facts:

Senator Cruz "introduced legislation that would have extended legal status to millions who are in the country illegally." 

"Cruz asserted 'I have never supported legalization,' despite having introduced legislation that would have extended legal status to millions who are in the country illegally." (The Associated Press, 12/17/15)

On November 29, 2015, "Cruz refused to take off the table his own support of a potential path to legal status." 

"Cruz refused to take off the table his own support of a potential path to legal status despite his cries against 'amnesty.' 'Let's demonstrate we can stop illegal immigration, we can protect our national security interests, we can protect our law enforcement interests,' Cruz said after a campaign stop in Newton, Iowa. 'Then once that's done, we can have a conversation at that point about whatever people remain here illegally.'" (MSNBC, 11/29/15)

On November 20, 2015, Senator Cruz would not explicitly rule out a pathway to legal status for illegal immigrants. 

"Seeking to carve out a space between real estate mogul Donald Trump, who is calling for the forcible deportation of those in the U.S. illegally, and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, who co-authored the Gang of Eight comprehensive immigration reform bill that included a pathway to citizenship, Cruz would not explicitly rule out a pathway to legal status for the undocumented." (Time, 11/20/15)

On March 27, 2015, Senator Cruz said that he's open to a pathway to legal status for illegal immigrants.

"Republican presidential hopeful Ted Cruz's office on Friday indicated the Texas senator remains open to a path to legal status for undocumented workers, putting him at odds with conservatives who deride such a position as unacceptable 'amnesty.'" (MSNBC, 3/27/15)

On September 13, 2013, Senator Cruz said that he supported "legal status for millions of people here already." 

"When it comes to immigration reform, Senator Ted Cruz has made it abundantly clear what he opposes: giving citizenship to people who broke the law to come here. 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. 'I have said many times that I want to see common-sense immigration reform pass,' he said. 'I think most Americans want to see the problem fixed.'" (NYT/Texas Tribune, 9/13/13)

On September 13, 2013, Senator Cruz made sure to clarify he supported a path to legal status. 

"Asked about what to do with the people here illegally, however, he stressed that he had never tried to undo the goal of allowing them to stay. 'The amendment that I introduced removed the path to citizenship, but it did not change the underlying work permit from the Gang of Eight,' he said during a recent visit to El Paso. Mr. Cruz also noted that he had not called for deportation or, as Mitt Romney famously advocated, self-deportation." (NYT/Texas Tribune, 9/13/13)

In an August 2013 interview, Senator Cruz said his amendment "would have allowed for legalization and indeed would have allowed for them to receive a green card." 

"'Now that amendment did not alter the underlying language of the bill that would have allowed for legalization and indeed would have allowed for them to receive a green card. My amendment did not alter either of those components, it simply stated that they would not be eligible for citizenship.' — Sen. Ted Cruz, on 8-21-2013, explaining his amendment removing a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants." (Jay Root, Tweet, 11/17/13)

On June 20, 2013, Cruz said with his amendment "the 11 million who are here illegally would be granted legal status" and "would be eligible for permanent legal residency." 

"And yet Ted Cruz wants to change the immigration bill with an amendment removing the path to citizenship. 'The 11 million who are here illegally would be granted legal status once the border was secured — not before — but after the border was secured, they would be granted legal status,' he says. 'And indeed, they would be eligible for permanent legal residency. But they would not be eligible for citizenship.'" (NPR, 6/20/13)

On June 11, 2013, Senator Cruz said on the Senate Floor that with his amendment "those who are here illegally would be eligible for what is called RPI status, a legal status, and, indeed, in time would be eligible for legal permanent residency." 

CRUZ: "It is important to note that under the existing bill, if my amendment had been adopted, those who are here illegally would be eligible for what is called RPI status, a legal status, and, indeed, in time would be eligible for legal permanent residency." (Congressional Record, p. S4090, 6/11/13)

On June 11, 2013, Senator Cruz said on the Senate Floor "a middleground" would be to "allow for those 11 million people who are here illegally a legal status" and "that is the compromise that can pass."

CRUZ: "Whereas, if the proponents of this bill actually demonstrate a commitment not to politics, not to campaigning all the time, but to actually fixing this problem, to finding a middle ground, that would fix the problem and also allow for those 11 million people who are here illegally a legal status with citizenship off the table. I believe that is the compromise that can pass." (Congressional Record, p. S4091, 6/11/13)

On May 21, 2013, Senator Cruz offered an amendment that would bring the 11 million illegal immigrants in this country "out of the shadows" and make them still "eligible for legal status." 

CRUZ: "And I'd like to make a final point to those advocacy groups that are very engaged in this issue and rightly concerned about addressing our immigration system and, in particular, about addressing the situation for the 11 million who are currently in the shadows. If this amendment is adopted to the current bill, the effect would be that those 11 million under this current bill would still be eligible for RPI status. They would still be eligible for legal status and indeed, under the terms of the bill, they would be eligible for LPR status as well so that they are out of the shadows, which the proponents of this bill repeatedly point to as their principal objective to provide a legal status for those who are here illegally to be out of the shadows. This amendment would allow that happen, but what it would do is remove the pathway to citizenship so that there are real consequences that respect the rule of law and that treat legal immigrants with the fairness and respect they deserve." (U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, Hearing, 5/21/13)

Cruz amendment allowed illegal immigrants "to receive work permits under the bill and even green cards." 

"During the 2013 immigration debate, Cruz introduced an amendment that would have barred undocumented immigrants for citizenship, but also allowed them to receive work permits under the bill and even green cards. 'Its important to note … that under the existing bill, if my amendment had been adopted, those who are here illegally would be eligible for what's called RPI status, a legal status, and indeed in time would be eligible for legal permanent residency,' Cruz said in a 2013 floor speech that caught the attention of conservative outlet The Right Scoop at the time. Cruz added in the same speech that his amendment was 'critical to passing this bill.'" (MSNBC, 11/12/15)

"Cruz's amendment would have preserved the original bill's paths to legal status." 

"When Rubio says Cruz is 'a supporter of legalizing people that are in this country illegally,' he is referring to a Cruz-proposed amendment, which the Texan did not mention on Ingraham's show. Cruz's amendment would have preserved the original bill's paths to legal status—the 13-year 'generic' Registered Provisional Immigrant path, a 5-year expedited path for DREAMers, and an 8-year expedited path for agricultural workers—but not have allowed those immigrants to eventually receive citizenship." (Weekly Standard, 11/12/15)

Cruz introduced an amendment "that would have granted legal status." 

"What Rubio was referring to was Cruz's support, during the 2013 debate over the Gang of Eight bill, for increasing levels of legal immigration, and his introduction of an amendment during that debate that would have granted legal status but not citizenship to those here illegally. That's essentially the position proposed by former Florida governor Jeb Bush, who has been widely pilloried for his views on immigration, in his 2014 book." (National Review, 11/12/15)

 "Cruz's amendment would have introduced a process by which those in the country illegally could have applied for legal status."

"Cruz's amendment would have introduced a process by which those in the country illegally could have applied for legal status after a three-year period during which border security was increased." (National Review, 11/12/15)

Senator Cruz: "I don't want immigration reform to fail. I want immigration reform to pass" and this amendment "would increase dramatically" the chances of that happening. 

"In my view, if this committee rejects this amendment, and I think everyone here views it as quite likely this committee will choose to reject this amendment, in my view, that decision will make it much, much more likely that this entire bill will fail in the House of Representatives. I don't want immigration reform to fail. I want immigration reform to pass. And so I would urge people of good faith on both sides of the aisle, if the objective is to pass common sense immigration reform that secures the borders, that improves legal immigration, and that allows those who are here illegally to come in out of the shadows. Then we should look for areas of bipartisan agreement and compromised to come together. And this amendment, I believe, if this amendment were to pass, the chances of this bill passing into law would increase dramatically. And so I would urge the committee to give it full consideration and to adopt the amendment." (U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, Hearing, 5/21/13)