Sen. Cruz: Gang of Eight Immigration Bill Fails To Secure the Border

WASHINGTON, DC – In an address on the Senate floor, U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) today strongly critiqued the Gang of Eight immigration reform bill.

Excerpts:

“Neither the Gang of Eight bill nor many of the alternative border security proposals that have been introduced do enough to meaningfully secure our borders. The last time this body passed major immigration reform was 1986….

“The insecurity of our borders is causing human tragedies in our country, many of which are occurring in in my home state of Texas….

“In 1986 the federal government made a promise to the American people. The federal government said we will grant amnesty to some three million people here illegally [and] in exchange, we will secure the borders. We will stop illegal immigration, we will fix the problem. The American people accepted that offer. What happened in 1986 was the amnesty happened, three million people received it, and yet the border security never did….

“Talk is cheap. We need to fix the problem. In closing I would ask you and I would ask the American people to focus on the cost, the human tragedy of our current system….

“The American people are overwhelmingly unified that, number one, we need to secure the border. And, number two, any bill that this body passes should have border security first and then legalization, not the other way around. You know, there's an old saying that's popular in Texas, ‘Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me….’

“In 1986, Congress asked the American people, trust us with legalization first and border security later, and we learned it never happened….

“And you know what? I don't think the American people are ready to be fooled a second time. I hope that this body will adopt the amendment I've introduced to provide real border security and to ensure that border security occurs first before legalization.”

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