Politics

Ted Cruz counters Jeb Bush of illegal immigration: ‘This is not a humane system’

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Brendan Bordelon Contributor
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Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz politely denounced former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush’s defense of illegal immigration, explaining that breaking the law is not “positive and beneficial” and that turning a blind eye while illegal migrants cross the border “is not a humane system.”

Cruz appeared on CNN’s “The Lead with Jake Tapper” to discuss Bush’s comments from Sunday, when he attempted to somewhat justify illegal immigration by noting it’s “not a felony” and is an “act of love [and] commitment to your family.”

“There’s no doubt that immigrants come to this country because they are seeking a better world, they are seeking the American dream and they’re seeking a better life for their kids,” Cruz said. “And all of that is positive and beneficial. What isn’t positive and beneficial is breaking the law to do so.”

“In my view, we need to be a nation that welcomes and celebrates legal immigrants,” the senator continued. “People who follow the rules and come here according to the law. We’re a nation of immigrants, we need to celebrate that. But at the same time, rule of law matters. And if you look at any sovereign nation, securing your border is critically important.”

“And I’ll tell you one of the big reasons has to do with just the humanity of it,” Cruz explained. “If you come down to Texas and you see the conditions where — you see photographs that are heartbreaking, of bodies of women and children left abandoned in the desert, because they entrust themselves to transnational global criminal cartels who smuggle them in, assault them and leave them to die.”

“This is not a humane system,” the senator asserted, “and we need to solve the problems. Secure the borders, and then improve and streamline legal immigration so people can come to America consistent with the rule of law.”

Cruz also took subtle digs at the “folks in Washington who want to pick the [2016 Republican] nominee, and they inevitably want to pick a nominee who they think won’t rock the boat.”

“I think the only way Republicans win is to have a candidate who runs as a strong conservative with a positive, hopeful, optimistic message,” he said. “That’s the path to victory. And I don’t think Washington elites are going to be very effective picking the nominee.”

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