Texas Senator Ted Cruz tells KTSA News he is horrified by the images of children being separated from their parents who are suspected of being illegal immigrants.
“One of the tragic consequences of illegal immigration is that often it is children who pay the biggest prices,” Cruz told KTSA in an exclusive interview Friday night. “I would like to see an outcome where we endeavor to keep family units together — to keep mom and dad with their kids.”
The Texas Republican — who is up for reelection against Rep. Beto O’Rourke — said illegal immigration usually does not end well for children.
On one hand, Cruz said they are often abused on their journey to the U.S., sometimes caught up in drug cartels that exploit them. On the other, the end up getting split up from their parents when they get to the U.S.
The biggest thing the nation needs to do, he said, is secure the border to stop illegal immigration and help families looking to come here do so legally. But until then, the processing for migrants needs to improve.
“What I think makes a lot more sense is that we need a lot more funding for immigration judges so that if a family comes with a credible claim of asylum, rather than having them wait weeks or months for that to be heard, that should be heard immediately,” Cruz said. He added that those without a credible claim would be sent back sooner, keeping families out of detention facilities.
On North Korea: ‘hopeful, but deeply skeptical’
Cruz applauded the different approach President Donald Trump has taken with North Korea, but wants to see where things go from here.
“Kim Jong Un has a long history of
