WASHINGTON, DC -- U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) has filed additional amendments to S. 744 to significantly improve border security measures, fix our immigration system in a manner that champions legal immigration, and uphold the rule of law by ensuring illegal immigrants granted legal status under this bill are not given a path to citizenship.
“I very much want commonsense immigration reform to pass, but if this bill becomes law as currently written, it will not solve the problem. Instead it will make the problem of illegal immigration worse,” Sen. Cruz said. “We must work together in a bipartisan manner to fix this problem in a way that secures the border, improves legal immigration and respects rule of law so we remain a nation that welcomes and celebrates legal immigrants. I look forward to working with my colleagues on these issues and am confident my proposed amendments will effectively address the current problems with this bill.”
Sen. Cruz presented the following amendments:
Cruz 1320: Create border security triggers that can be measured objectively by Congress and provide the resources and capabilities necessary to secure the border
Before any illegal immigrants could be legalized, DHS is required to:
Unfortunately, the current Gang of 8 bill will not secure the border. It grants legal status for those here illegally when DHS simply drafts a plan for securing the border. And it then grants green cards to those individuals when DHS certifies, in its opinion, that the plan has been substantially completed based on subjective criteria. The bill does not require operational control of the entire border and does not provide the resources necessary to truly secure the border.
Cruz 1321: Prohibit federal, state, or local entitlement benefits for those here illegally
Although the current bill states that illegal immigrants granted status will not be eligible for means-tested welfare benefits, that is true only for federal benefits, and only for a limited amount of time. It fails to place any special limit on public assistance paid to illegal immigrants who receive a green card under this bill. This is both good fiscal policy and ensures that immigrants do not become dependent on government to their own detriment.
Cruz 1322: Ensure that illegal immigrants who are given legal status under this bill are not given a path to citizenship
Providing a path to citizenship undermines the rule of law and is an insult to the millions who have immigrated to the U.S. legally. This Amendment prevents those currently here illegally who are offered legal status under this Act from obtaining citizenship.
The current bill grants three paths to citizenship for those here illegally:
Cruz 1323: Combines Cruz 1322 and Cruz 1321. Provides that those who are granted legal status under the bill are ineligible for welfare and for citizenship
Cruz 1324: Green Card (LPR) reform to modernize, streamline and expand legal immigration
This amendment would streamline and simplify our legal immigration system by consolidating segmented visas, creating real and transparent caps, eliminating the diversity visa lottery, and treating all immigrants equally by eliminating the per-country caps.
Provisions of his amendment include:
Cruz 1325: Increase high-skilled temporary worker visas (H-1B visas) five-fold
This amendment would improve our nation’s legal immigration system by increasing the H-1B cap from 65,000 to 325,000. It would also help America retain the people it educates by authorizing dual-intent student visas and address the need for high-skilled labor by creating a block grant to promote domestic high-skilled workers.
Cruz 1326: Combines Cruz 1324 and Cruz 1325. Implements Green Card reform to streamline and expand legal immigration and increases high-skilled temporary worker visas five fold.
You should seek professional help....really.
Riiiight, nothing "establishment" about a Harvard Business School Grad married to a Goldman Sacs VP.
Very Good post. Thanks for the comprehensive look at Cruz’s position.