Ted Cruz on Face the Nation

we also sat down with Texas senator Ted Cruz before an event at the Iowa hall of pride we begin by asking about

granting automatic citizenship to the children of undocumented workers I think birthright citizenship as

a policy matter doesn't make sense we have right now upwards of twelve million people living here illegally it doesn't make any sense that our law automatically

grant citizenship to their children because what it does is it incentivize additionally legal immigration but

the heart of what Donald proposed and indeed what I've introduced is we've got to get serious about securing the borders and

and and a few now when you talk with law enforcement you know I represent Texas we've got border with Mexico when

you go visit with law enforcement when you visit with border patrol agents about what works the number one most effective tool that works his boots on the ground that's why filed legislation to

triple the border patrol I was very glad to see the Donald Trump agrees with that proposal the legislation I filed would also increase for fall the

fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft that we use technology to monitor the border check to supplement the

boots on the ground but then beyond that forty percent of illegal immigration doesn't come across the border at all at least over stays so

the legislation I introduce would put in place a strong biometric exit entry system so we can stop visa overstay and

finally we should put in place a robust E. verify systems you can't get a job without demonstrating your here illegally it's not that we don't know how to solve illegal

immigration what is missing is the political will to get it done and as president I will get it done we

will secure the borders in twenty eleven you mention that basically %HESITATION if there's a quote here you said the Fourteenth Amendment provides for birthright citizenship I'd look at the legal arguments against it and I will tell you as

a Supreme Court litigator those arguments are not very good so as a legal matter that it can't be touched right well no that's that's not true is there to different pieces there's the policy matter in the legal matter as

a policy matter I think it now and I thought then we should end birthright citizenship and in twenty eleven in that same conversation I

publicly said we should end birthright citizenship in the us that someone right now there's a second question how does one do and

constitutional scholars differ in terms of the way that it can be effectively done some constitutional scholars argue Congress

could pass a law defining what what the words and Fourteenth Amendment subject to the jurisdiction me others

argue now it couldn't be done by statute it it must be done by constitutional amendment my

view there's a good faith argument on both shit whichever one is affected but as a policy matter we should change the law but what I also said that interview and I think this is important on is

we're facing a crisis with illegal immigration law enforcement crisis a national security crisis any

enforce the laws and get the job done let me ask about religious liberty you're hosting of %HESITATION gathering

here in protection of religious liberty in your speech announcing your presidency you talked about it you talk about it ever since we know that that will

liberty has been a a foundational passion of mine for decades and and I have a long record of standing in the spending religious liberty and winning successful a