Hundreds of amendments have been introduced to be debated and added to the recent immigration reform bill, including an amendment by Sen. Cruz barring millions of immigrants residing without legal status in the country from ever becoming U.S. citizens.
By H. Nelson Goodson
May 8, 2013
Washington, D.C. - Republican U.S. Senator Ted Cruz from Texas has introduced an amendment, which would prevent more than 11 million immigrants without non-legal status in the country from ever becoming U.S. citizens for visa overstays and crossing into the country illegally, even for children (DREAMers) of non-legal status parents. If Cruz is successful in adding the amendment to the latest immigrantion reform bill being debated in the Senate, millions of immigrants won't be able to become U.S. citizens and likely future voters.
In April during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on immigration, Cruz stated, "…I don't think there is any issue in this entire debate that is more divisive than a path to citizenship for those who are here illegally. In my view, any bill that insists upon that jeopardizes the likelihood of passing any immigration reform bill.
"So, it is my hope that passing a bipartisan bill addressing areas of common agreement – securing the border, improving legal immigration, improving agricultural workers to ensure that we have workers who are here out of the shadows, able to work legally.
I hope that reform legislation will not be held hostage to an issue that is deeply, deeply divisive, namely a pathway to citizenship. In my view that's how we get something done, we focus on areas of agreement, not on areas of disagreement. And I am hopeful that over the course of consideration, we'll see some consensus come together to do exactly that."
The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold its next executive business meeting at 9:30 am on Thursday, May 9, 2013, to consider S. 744, the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act, including the proposed amendments. The bipartisan legislation was introduced on April 17. The first amendment circulated to the bill is the Sponsors' Amendment, which is expected to be offered at the next executive business meeting.
