The Immigration Ironies of Ted Cruz
Imagine a young man fleeing dictatorship, bribing his way to freedom. He lands in America with hope, no papers, and the prayer that this country still welcomes the tired and poor.
That man was Rafael Cruz.
His son, Senator Ted Cruz, now champions laws that would shut the door behind him.
This is not speculation. These are facts:
đ Canadian Birth Ted Cruz was born on December 22, 1970, in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. He held dual citizenship until formally renouncing Canadian citizenship in May 2014. For over four decades, the man who now rallies against birthright citizenship was himself a beneficiary of it.
đď¸ Rafael Cruz's Immigration Path In 1957, Rafael Cruz bribed a Batista regime official in Cuba for an exit stamp, entered the U.S. on a student visa, and remained under political asylum after that visa expired. He later became a permanent resident and U.S. citizen.
This is not to shame his journey. It is to underscore its complexity, risk, and reliance on the kind of grace and policy discretion that Ted Cruz now opposes for others.
đ Policy vs. Personal Story Senator Cruz has been a vocal proponent of ending birthright citizenship. He's also defended derogatory phrases like âanchor babiesâ and backed efforts to limit asylum.
He once said:
âBirthright citizenship ⌠doesnât make sense. It incentivizes additional illegal immigration.â
And:
âThereâs nothing the press likes more than a sideshow on some politically correct debate. Who cares?â
He's aligned with rhetoric that paints immigrants as threats, not contributors.
đ¤ The Irony If Ted Cruzâs proposed policies had been in place in the 1950s and 1970s, his father might never have made it in. Ted himself might not have qualified to run for office. That irony isnât a gotchaâitâs a mirror.
It raises deeper questions:
Who gets to define the American dream?
What stories count as worthy?
And why do we allow those who benefited from compassion to later deny it to others?
đ Why This Matters This isnât about Cruz alone. Itâs about the broader disconnect between the personal histories of many lawmakers and the punitive policies they now support.
Itâs about using the privileges of your past to justify restricting someone elseâs future.
In the end, voters deserve honesty, not hypocrisy.
So the next time Cruz rails against âillegalsâ or âbirthright abuse,â remember this: He didnât just benefit from immigration policies he now condemns.
His entire story is built on them.
#ImmigrationJustice #TedCruz #TruthToPower #ImmigrantStories #GOPContradictions #BornInCanada #AsylumForSome #PoliticalIrony #KnowTheirStory