Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) has officially renounced his Canadian citizenship, it was announced yesterday. Cruz was a Canadian citizenship due to his birth in Calgary while his father was working there in the oil industry. Cruz was also an American citizen at birth because his mother is a native of Delaware and an American citizen. He was reportedly unaware that he was a Canadian citizen until recently.
Spokeswoman Catherine Frazier said Cruz's action became official May 14 and that Texas' junior senator received written confirmation at his home in Houston on Tuesday. She said the tea-party-backed Republican "is pleased to have the process finalized."
"Being a U.S. Senator representing Texas, it makes sense he should be only an American citizen," Frazier said in an email.
Canada and the United States are the only two countries with advanced economies that automatically grant citizenship to every person born on its soil.
Cruz is still eligible to run for president despite the location of his birth as he was born a U.S. citizen. Former presidential candidate Sen. John McCain was born in Panama while his father was stationed there in the Navy and was still considered Constitutionally eligible to be president.
This highlights a major issue with jus soli citizenship. Cruz had no interest in being technically Canadian, his parents aren't Canadian, and his parents were not permanent residents of Canada. "Birth tourism" is an industry in countries like China and Turkey where pregnant women can pay a fee to be flown to the United States, give birth to a brand new American citizen baby, and return to their country of origin. As their child is an American citizen, they are now eligible for a host of benefits, such as the public education system and college system. They can also sponsor citizenship for their parents as well. This is absurd. Citizenship isn't something to collect like a baseball card. The U.S. should strongly consider adopting a law like in the UK, which require one parent to be a citizen or "legally settled" in the country to confer citizenship on a child.
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