Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) chastised Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) on Wednesday over a since-deleted tweet that suggested Latino immigrants aren’t capable of competing in a merit-based immigration system.
President Donald Trump recently unveiled a new plan to overhaul America’s broken immigration system by creating a new merit-based legal immigration system.
The plan, according to the president, will favor immigrants who have “the skills our economy needs.”
A merit-based system “protects American wages and safety net programs, prioritizes immediate families, and creates a fair and transparent process for immigration to America,” a statement on the White House website reads.
Rep. Omar believes that by implementing such a system, Latino immigrants would be at a disadvantage.
Related: Hundreds of Jews Protest Anti-Semitism: ‘Omar Must Go!’
On her Twitter feed, she accused the plan of being racist.
“A ‘merit-based’ immigration policy is fueled by racism towards the Latino community,” she wrote. “Our immigration policies shouldn’t be based on discrimination, fear, or bigotry. We should welcome immigrants to our country and offer a simple way to citizenship.”
Cruz helpfully came along and explained that painting an entire race of people as being incapable of achieving goals and attaining skills necessary to better their situation is … kinda racist.
As the son of a Cuban immigrant whose Dad came to get a math degree & become a computer programmer, I’m troubled that Dems seem to believe Hispanic immigrants can’t qualify for skills-based legal immigration. Bringing in more scientists, engineers & doctors is good for U.S. jobs. https://t.co/iugniZgJtL
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) May 29, 2019
Cruz has often spoken of his father, Rafael Bienvenido Cruz, and his experiences in his home country of Cuba.
It’s really not surprising to see Omar paint all Latino immigrants as incapable of acquiring or already having the skills to qualify for a merit-based immigration policy, in our view. In fact, much of her criticisms in general are aimed at groups of people based on their race, religion or country.
She has claimed many Americans — legal or natural — are ignorant.
“Ignorance really is pervasive in many parts of this country,” Omar said earlier this month.
She tried to blast Dr. Ben Carson, the secretary of Housing and Urban Development — a black man who worked as a world-renowned neurosurgeon and former director of pediatric neurosurgery at John’s Hopkins University — as dumb and lazy.
And, of course, she has openly encouraged discrimination against “white people” and is a raging anti-Semite.
Cruz and Omar have sparred before.
The Texas senator has been highly critical of the Democrat’s repeated use of “anti-Semitic tropes,” noting the resistance party’s inability to call her out for them.
The anti-Semitic Left—whether @IlhanMN repeated anti-Israel slurs or @nytimes apologizing for Hamas terrorists (eg, on 3/14/18) & running racist cartoons—is getting worse. And the House can’t even pass an anti-Semitism resolution. Responsible Dems need to say Enough is Enough. https://t.co/ca99Mcq9Ij
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) April 28, 2019
Omar countered by claiming “Islamophobia and anti-Semitism are two sides of the same bigoted coin.”
“Shame on you,” she tweeted back at Cruz.
The shame is all yours, Congresswoman.
This piece originally appeared in The Political Insider and is used by permission.
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