{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.cruz.senate.gov?p=press_release&id=2030", "Sen. Cruz Stands with Texas Against President Obama's Executive Amnesty", "2014-12-17", "2014", "2014-12", "Republican", "House", "TX", "Ted Cruz", "C001098", "www.cruz.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, DC -- U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, this week joined an amicus brief in support of a lawsuit brought by the State of Texas and joined by over 20 other states against President Obama\u2019s illegal amnesty.  \u00a0  \u201cPresident Obama is not only blatantly defying the Constitution by refusing to faithfully execute our nation\u2019s immigration laws; his amnesty policy is harming millions of Texans and Americans,\u201d Sen. Cruz said. \u201cBy unilaterally granting amnesty to nearly five million people, the President is inviting even more illegal immigration, which hurts working men and women who have entered the country legally and further strains state governments.  \u00a0  \u201cThe President has no authority to ignore or rewrite the law. In so doing, the President violates his oath to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution. I am proud to stand with the State of Texas in upholding the rule of law against President Obama\u2019s brazen power grab. This is a critical step to restoring the Law of the Land and celebrating legal immigration.\u201d  \u00a0  In its lawsuit challenging the President\u2019s executive action, the State of Texas argues that President Obama\u2019s executive amnesty violates federal immigration law and usurps Congress\u2019 constitutional authority to set immigration policy.  \u00a0  The amicus brief, filed by the American Center for Law and Justice, makes clear that the President\u2019s executive action \u201cchanges the law and sets a new policy, exceeding [the President\u2019s] constitutional authority and disrupting the delicate balance of powers.\u201d  \u00a0  Senators John Cornyn, R-TX, and Roy Blunt, R-MO, also joined the amicus brief, as did Representatives Bob Goodlatte, R-VA, Diane Black, R-TN, Dave Brat, R-VA, Jeff Duncan, R-SC, John Fleming, R-LA, Randy Forbes, R-VA, Virginia Foxx, R-NC, Trent Franks, R-AZ, Trey Gowdy, R-SC, H. Morgan Griffith, R-VA, Vicky Hartzler, R-MO, Tim Huelskamp, R-KS, Mike Kelly, R-PA, David McKinley, R-WV, Jeff Miller, R-FL, Alan Nunnelee, R-MS, Pete Olson, R-TX, Ted Poe, R-TX, Bill Posey, R-FL, Tom Price, R-GA, Phil Roe, R-TN, Adrian Smith, R-NE, Lamar Smith, R-TX, and Rob Wittman, R-VA.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.cruz.senate.gov?p=press_release&id=2030"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.904835993424058, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}