Ted Cruz: A path to citizenship is 'profoundly unfair'

Ted Cruz (R-TX) says that he opposes a path to citizenship as a part of comprehensive immigration reform because it is "profoundly unfair."

In an interview that aired on Sunday, ABC's Jonathan Karl asked Cruz if a majority of Americans were wrong to support a path to citizenship for the 11 million undocumented immigrations in the United States.

"There is no stronger advocate of legal immigration in the U.S. Senate than I am," Cruz insisted. "What I'm saying is if you want to fix the problem, you've got to focus where there is agreement. The most divisive element of the Gang of Eight bill is that it grants amnesty, it grants a path to citizenship for those who are here illegally."

"I think a path to citizenship for those who are here illegally is profoundly unfair to the millions of the legal immigrants who followed the rules," he continued. "I do not believe the House of Representatives will pass a path to citizenship. And I think the White House knows that."

Cruz, who was visiting Iowa at the time, also told Karl that he considered himself a U.S. citizen by birth and eligible to run for president -- even though he was born in Canada -- because his mother was a U.S. citizen.

"She’s a U.S. citizen, so I’m a U.S. citizen," he explained. "I’m not going to engage in a legal debate. The facts are clear."

Watch this video from ABC's This Week, broadcast July 21, 2013.