Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) pushed back on Republicans supporting any immigration reform that includes a path to citizenship for 1.8 million ‘Dreamers.’
President Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program was “illegal and unconstitutional” to begin with, Cruz said on “Fox and Friends,” noting that supporting amnesty “is dramatically to the left of where Barack Obama was" and breaks a promise by Republicans to the American people.
"DACA under Obama did not provide citizenship, it was just a work permit. Why would Republicans be galloping to the left of Barack Obama?" he asked.
Co-host Brian Kilmeade suggested it was being used as a bargaining chip by Republicans to get more border security since they only have a slim majority in the Senate.
But Cruz pushed back, saying that if Republicans in Congress continued favoring illegal immigrants they will pay for their vote in the midterm elections, and the consequences on the GOP as a whole could be devastating.
"Mark my words. If Republican majorities in Congress pass citizenship for millions of people and amnesty, I think it’s quite likely we will lose both houses of Congress and Speaker Nancy Pelosi will impeach President Trump," he warned.
Cruz: "We promised the American people – the steelworkers, the truck drivers –that we wouldn’t pass amnesty. Republicans should not be going to the left of President Obama and granting a path to citizenship" pic.twitter.com/qxvTzCk2sp
— Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz) February 15, 2018
“What I would urge my colleagues is very simple, ask yourselves what you told the voters before election day,” Sen. Cruz said on the Senate floor. “Let your conduct after Election Day match what you told the voters. The Democrats, campaigned as the party of amnesty so they’re being true to their promises. They promised amnesty as their priority and they’re being true. But for Republicans, we promised something different. We promised to stand with the working men and women, the union members, the steel workers - the men and women with the calluses on their hands. And I urge every one of us to listen to the working men and women, and to respect the rule of law, and to vote against these misguided proposals.”