Texas Senator Ted Cruz has asserted that if Kamala Harris were elected president, the number of illegal immigrants entering the United States would significantly increase, potentially doubling in size.
Cruz made these comments during the latest episode of his podcast, ‘Verdict.’ He highlighted immigration as a critical issue in the 2024 presidential election, where it ranks just behind the economy in terms of voter priorities, according to a recent Newsweek poll.
Cruz accused Harris of adopting a hardline stance on immigration while blaming former President Donald Trump for “killing” a bipartisan bill that Harris believes could have effectively secured the southern border. He stated, “If Kamala wins, god help us, the numbers will skyrocket.
We have seen 11.5 million people in the last four years. If Kamala is president for another four years, 11.5 will become 25 or 30 million. That is their objective: to invade this country with what they see as future Democrat voters.”
The senator’s claims reflect a broader narrative among Republicans as they campaign on immigration issues. Cruz, who is seeking re-election against Democrat Colin Allred, previously cited that “11.5 million people have crossed our border illegally under Joe Biden” during a speech at the Republican National Convention in July.
However, Newsweek has reported that this figure was misleading, as it misinterpreted migrant “encounters” at the southern border recorded by U.S. Customs and Border Protection since January 2021.
If Cruz’s figure were accurate, it would surpass the Pew Research Center’s estimate of 11 million undocumented migrants living in the U.S. in 2022, based on the most recent American Community Survey.
Cruz also expressed confidence that Trump would begin securing the border immediately upon retaking office. “This is not going to take a year; I don’t even believe it’s going to take six months,” he said, predicting that border security measures would start as early as January and February of the following year.
Cruz mentioned that Trump would end the practice known as “catch and release,” where certain immigrants are released by the Department of Homeland Security while awaiting their immigration court proceedings, asserting that this policy change would lead to a significant reduction in border crossings.
“Why? Because the single most important determinant of illegal immigration is one single question – it’s a policy question – what happens when an illegal immigrant is apprehended? If the answer is they’re put on a plane and sent home, the numbers plummet,” Cruz concluded.