(CNSNews.com) - Immigration is an economic issue, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said at the Tuesday night debate hosted by Fox Business Network.
"I can tell you, for millions of Americans at home watching this, it is a very personal economic issue. And, I will say the politics of it will be very, very different if a bunch of lawyers or bankers were crossing the Rio Grande. Or if a bunch of people with journalism degrees were coming over and driving down the wages in the press.
"Then, we would see stories about the economic calamity that is befalling our nation. And, I will say -- for those of us who believe people ought to come to this country legally, and we should enforce the law -- we're tired of being told it's anti-immigrant. It's offensive."
Cruz noted that he is the son of an immigrant who came to the United States legally from Cuba: "And we can embrace legal immigration while believing in the rule of law."
The bell rang, but Cruz continued: "I would note, try going illegally to another country. Try going to China, or Japan. Try going to Mexico. See what they do. Every sovereign nation secures its borders, and it is not compassionate to say we're not going to enforce the laws...And we're going to drive down the wages for millions of hardworking men and women."
Cruz also had a warning for Republicans: "The Democrats are laughing," he said, "because if Republicans join Democrats as the party of amnesty, we will lose."