Fair points and comparison generally, though Cruz has clearly said he supports legalizing illegals currently here, just not through Obama’s executive amnesty and not to the point of citizenship.
(I’d still call that amnesty, and I”m pretty certain that not only would many more be voting from the point of legalization, but that citizenship would certainly end up going to them after they were legalized anyway.)
Cruz wants to give the illegals work permits, not citizenship.
Walker has said the same thing.
This is what Obama is doing by executive memorandum.
The fear is that work permits lead to citizenship too easily.