Ted Cruz’s latest effort at cultural sensitivity – using the ongoing border crisis as an excuse to target DREAMers – is gaining notoriety both inside the beltway and far beyond, and not in a good way. If the Texas Senator with grander ambitions thinks Latino voters aren’t paying any attention to his anti-immigrant proposal, he should take a good look at Spanish-language TV, where his antics have been covered on stations coast to coast, from DC to Texas to California.
As Univision reporter stated succinctly, “The only thing [Senator Cruz’s plan] will do is assure that people like him will never get to the White House.”
Watch the coverage for yourself above.
Background
Cruz Planned To Introduce Legislation Giving States Authority To Send National Guard Troops To Respond To The Border Crisis And Remove Legal Obstacles Preventing Immediate Deportation Of Minors. According to the Texas Tribune, “Cruz, Texas’ junior senator, plans to introduce additional legislation to remove current legal obstacles to sending these minors back home. He also hopes to include language in that future measure that would give governors the authority to send the National Guard to respond to ‘crises like this.’” [Texas Tribune, 7/21/14]
Cruz Filed Legislation To Block Federal Agencies From Considering New Applicants To President Obama’s Deferred Action For Childhood Arrivals Program. According to the Texas Tribune, “U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz filed a billThursday that he says would immediately halt the flow of unaccompanied Central American children who are now crossing into the United States. ‘We all recognize the terrible humanitarian crisis that is occurring at the border, and all of us should come together to end the policies that have caused it,’ Cruz said in a statement. ‘Tens of thousands of children are being smuggled into the United States by dangerous drug cartels and transnational gangs; it is heartless to allow that to continue.’ The intent of the bill is to stop the application of President Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. Cruz and other Republicans blame the 2012 measure, which does not deport certain undocumented children who come to the United States. Cruz’s measure would block any federal agency from using taxpayer resources to consider new applicants using DACA.” [Texas Tribune, 7/21/14]
Cruz Spokeswoman Called Deporting DREAMers His “Top Priority.” According to Vox, “Then along comes Ted Cruz to ruin it all with a plan reported by Manu Raju and Burgess Everett to link any new funding to deal with the situation to deporting DREAMers — kids who came to the US years ago, grew up here, and are now being protected from deportation by Obama administration executive action. Catherine Frazier, a spokesperson for Cruz, describes ending the deferred action plan as his ‘top priority.’” [Vox, 7/16/14]
Published: Jul 21, 2014