Ted Cruz renounces Canadian citizenship in statement
(CNN) – Lest any questions remain about Sen. Ted Cruz's national allegiance, the Texas Republican announced Monday he was renouncing his Canadian citizenship.
Cruz was born in Canada to an American mother and a Cuban father, and over the weekend he released his birth certificate to put to rest any questions about his background. In an analysis, the Dallas Morning News speculated Cruz – considered a potential candidate for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination – was a dual citizen of the United States and Canada.
"Because I was a U.S. citizen at birth, because I left Calgary when I was 4 and have lived my entire life since then in the U.S., and because I have never taken affirmative steps to claim Canadian citizenship, I assumed that was the end of the matter," Cruz wrote in his statement.
"Now the Dallas Morning News says that I may technically have dual citizenship. Assuming that is true, then sure, I will renounce any Canadian citizenship," he continued. "Nothing against Canada, but I'm an American by birth, and as a U.S. Senator, I believe I should be only an American."
As speculation ramps up about Cruz's political future, some have questioned his eligibility to become president. Most legal experts have said Cruz qualifies as a "natural born citizen," a requirement for the White House job, as stated in the Constitution.
In the Dallas Morning News Sunday, legal experts told the paper that Cruz is not only eligible for president in the United States, he's also technically a Canadian citizen and can even run for Parliament. Unless he renounces his citizenship there, he could also obtain a Canadian passport, according to the newspaper.
The senator's office, however, said Cruz has never embraced his legal rights in Canada.
"Senator Cruz became a U.S. citizen at birth, and he never had to go through a naturalization process after birth to become a U.S. citizen," spokeswoman Catherine Frazier told the newspaper. "To our knowledge, he never had Canadian citizenship, so there is nothing to renounce."
CNN's Jim Acosta, Ashley Killough and Kevin Liptak contributed to this report.
I just had a brain freeze about McCarthy man without a country or two or three.
Does he have an American passport? Does he even have naturalization papers? Just because his mommy wanted him to be a US citizen (if you believe anything from this family) doesn't mean he is even a naturalized American which still disqualifies him to be president.
He should keep his Canadian citizenship becaue he I going to have to move from the US at some point and Cuba might not be the best idea of his third country,
Steve King Introduces Bill To Stop 'Anchor Babies'. Don't be scare mr. Cruz
The shame Of it all. Oops Perry and now Canadian Bacon Cruz.
If he does have a REAL American passport (not a fake last minute one) what does it show as his country of birth?
So being born to a US mother in Canada is OK but being born to a US mother in Hawaii (or even if it WAS Kenya) isn't OK. Now it all makes sense, in a shrill right-wing hypocritical way.
He renounced the Canadian citizenship so he'd still be eligible for the bribes coming his way for 2016.
Adam wrote:
Actually, Canada and the USA allow people to hold multiple citizenship. Even our Prime Minister can hold multiple citizenships if he/she is eligible. Please research before making false statements.
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I suggest that you do your own homework. There are two scenarios: immigrants looking to become citizens, and a current citizen establishing citizenship elsewhere, the legality of which is determined by that foreign country. The US and Canada cannot stop another country from granting citizenship to someone.
The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 ended dual citizenship in the US. It requires an alien to apply for a petition for naturalization and denounce their citizenship of origin BEFORE they can be sworn in as US citizens. It works the same way in Canada for incoming immigrants. I stand by what I wrote. Dual citizenship is prohibited in both countries.
Today, Canadians must be the happiest people on the face of the earth!
If Ted Cruz is the best the Tea Party can do, they might as well lock up and call it over.
Ted Cruz...really????
RandyNewnan23
There goes your free healthcare. Obamacare doesn't look so bad now, does it?
August 20, 2013 11:39 am at 11:39 am | -------------------–The fact that Obama and congress are exempt from Obamacare says all I need to know about the program. I guess they must have finally read the bill that they passed and decided they didn't want to participate.
Good for Canada.
Fair is Fair wrote:
Nope. Not at all. You wrote that he's a citizen because he was born on a military installation in Panama. I am simply stating he could have been born ANYWHERE in the Canal Zone, which was MUCH more than a military installation, and he would be a citizen.
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Good spin on it. I'll give you a free pass and a get out of jail card.
He'll be back if he needs healthcare ...
Phattee
Birther logic:
-Ted Cruz was born on foreign soil to a non-citizen father, but because his mother is an American, he meets the requirements to run for president.
-Barack Obama was born on US soil to a non-citizen father, and even though his mother is an American, he does not meet the requirements to run for president.
---------------------Huh? Did I miss something? I thought Obama was president.
He should renounce his USA citizenship – if there is such a thing for him.
I was hoping he'd go the other way. Don't they have lower taxes up there?
Hey! What does this guy have against beer and hockey?
I saw a certificate of Live Birth, released by Ted Cruz, I don't see a BIRTH CERTIFICATE. I need the long form, too.
In the true spirit of Conservatism, I will continue to refer to him as Canadian Cruz. Come on, it's the same as Obama. He's no more eligible than Obama was, right?
Funny how being a Canadian citizen is so much more 'important' than Cruz's father being a former Cuban guerilla for Castro!
First Obama the secret Muslim and now Rafael the secret Cuban communist. Seriously, are candidates chosen on who gets the most drama?
@Rudy NYC
No.. it's not. Multiple people, including both my parents hold dual citizenship. I know a family that lived in Canada and moved to the US, they all have dual citizenship also. I don't know where you are getting this info, but it's simply wrong. I have seen myself, two passports for the same person issued by different countries. The Government of Canada has a very clear page explaining dual citizenship, you should google it.
And the Canadians rejoiced! We however are stuck with him.
BREAKING NEWS: Parentage no longer determines your US citizenship.
People who believe that parentage determines your citizenship are probably basing their arguments on the 1790 law, which was superseded at least 3 times. Furthermore, the 14th Amendment superseded the entire menagerie of immigration laws that were on the federal books at the time.
every time some right winger parrot says that Obama and Congress are exempt of ObamaCare shows how much they just parrot what ever rush says.
President Obama and members of Congress are not exempt, they meet the requirements because they get their healthcare from their employer, just like you and I do