Lurches right

Cruz lurches right on immigration

By Hanna Trudo

Ted Cruz would use Immigration and Customs Enforcement to search for and ultimately help deport 12 million immigrants in the U.S. illegally if elected president.

In an interview with Bill O’Reilly on Fox News Monday night, the Texas senator said that he would use ICE as part of broader federal efforts to deport those who are not in the country legally, representing a significant shift in his immigration policy.

“Federal law requires that anyone here illegally that’s apprehended should be deported,” Cruz said.

“Would you look for them, though?” O’Reilly asked.

“Bill, of course you would,” Cruz said. “That’s what ICE exists for. We have law enforcement who looks for people who are violating the law and deports them.”

Cruz also took a shot at Donald Trump, who is leading him in Nevada, which votes on Tuesday, and in most states voting on Super Tuesday next week.

“Donald said once he deports them, he’ll let them back in as citizens,” Cruz said. “I will not.”

Cruz’s statement appears to be a rightward shift from January, when he characterized the idea of rounding up immigrants as impractical and authoritarian.

In an interview with CNN, Cruz said, “No, I don't intend to send jackboots to knock on your door and every door in America. That's not how we enforce the law for any crime.”

No such effort currently exists, Cruz emphasized, arguing that the United States is not a “police state” and promising that he would only deport people who are apprehended.

"We don't have any system that knocks on the doors of every person in America," Cruz said. "We also don't have people going door-to-door looking for murderers. We don't live in a police state. We do have law enforcement."

Trump weighed in on Cruz's comments late on Monday evening, dismissing the Texas senator’s remark that he would allow those who are deported to renter the county as citizens as "another lie."