# Is Ted Cruz a U.S. citizen? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [October 2, 2015, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-ted-cruz-a-u-s-citizen/733270 "2015-10-02T15:39:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-ted-cruz-a-u-s-citizen/733270/1 "2015-10-02T15:39:30Z")
According to [this article](http://www.examiner.com/article/ted-cruz-must-show-naturalization-papers-to-keep-his-us-senate-seat), Ted Cruz ‘was likely born of 2 Canadian citizens in Calgary back in December of 1970.’ According to [this article](http://www.scribd.com/doc/256409078/Cruz-Citizenship-Timeline-documented), Cruz’s father stated in an interview that he became a Canadian citizen prior to Ted Cruz’s birth. It says that when Ted Cruz was born, his parents ‘had lived in Canada for at least four years at that time, and had applied for and received Canadian citizenship under Canadian immigration and naturalization laws, as stated by Rafael Cruz.’ [Emphasis mine.] If that’s true, then Ted Cruz needs to have been naturalised in order to become a U.S. citizen. But… Neither article says whether Cruz’s _mother_ ever renounced her U.S. citizenship after becoming a Canadian citizen. So is Ted Cruz a ‘natural born U.S. citizen’, or not? ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-ted-cruz-a-u-s-citizen/733270/2 "2015-10-02T15:49:16Z")
He was a dual US-Canada citizen, because of his parents’ citizenship and his place of birth, until filing the papers to renounce his Canadian citizenship to prepare for his Presidential campaign. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-ted-cruz-a-u-s-citizen/733270/3 "2015-10-02T15:53:05Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > He was a dual US-Canada citizen, because of his parents’ citizenship and his place of birth, until filing the papers to renounce his Canadian citizenship to prepare for his Presidential campaign. His parents were Canadian citizens. Is there proof that they were dual-citizens? ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-ted-cruz-a-u-s-citizen/733270/4 "2015-10-02T15:59:05Z")
[His mother was still a US citizen.](http://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/headlines/20131228-ted-cruz-says-hes-hired-lawyers-to-renounce-canadian-citizenship.ece) > [@](#): > > When Cruz was born, his parents were living in the Canadian oil patch in Calgary. His mother is a native-born American. His father, a Cuban émigré who later became a naturalized American, was still a Cuban citizen. > > Under U.S. law, a child born with even one American parent is automatically entitled to citizenship, even if the birth takes place outside the country. Canada, like the United States, also confers automatic citizenship to anyone born on its soil, regardless of the parents’ nationalities. Nothing about his having Cuban citizenship too. ---
**Author:** ![A\_isha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@A\_isha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A_isha)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-ted-cruz-a-u-s-citizen/733270/5 "2015-10-02T16:10:12Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > His parents were Canadian citizens. Is there proof that they were dual-citizens? Cruz’ mother was born an American citizen. Unless there’s evidence she affirmed to a US consular representative that she intended to relinquish her American citizenship, then even if she became a naturalized Canadian citizen she would be a dual citizen, retaining her US citizenship. And, as an American citizen, her son would also be an American citizen at birth even if he was born in Canada - it would simply make Cruz a dual citizen too. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-ted-cruz-a-u-s-citizen/733270/6 "2015-10-02T16:15:30Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > [His mother was still a US citizen.](http://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/headlines/20131228-ted-cruz-says-hes-hired-lawyers-to-renounce-canadian-citizenship.ece) How do we know she was a U.S. citizen? Is there any evidence, other than the claim on Cruz’s Canadian birth certificate, that his mother actually was born in Delaware? I’m sure she was, but AFAIK it has never been proven. So the question is whether Cruz’s mother was, in fact, a dual-citizen, or did she renounce her U.S. citizenship upon becoming Canadian. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-ted-cruz-a-u-s-citizen/733270/7 "2015-10-02T16:16:50Z")
> [@A\_isha](#): > > Unless there’s evidence she affirmed to a US consular representative that she intended to relinquish her American citizenship That’s what I want to know. Did she, or didn’t she? ---
**Author:** ![A\_isha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@A\_isha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A_isha)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-ted-cruz-a-u-s-citizen/733270/8 "2015-10-02T16:19:18Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > That’s what I want to know. Did she, or didn’t she? The State Department defaults to “if you don’t explicitly affirm to a Consular Official that you intend to relinquish your American citizenship, then you intend to keep it”. So, unless you or someone else can dig up where she did explicitly affirm this (State Department records, testimony from a Consular Official, etc.), then she didn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/do_not_taunt/32/2968_2.png) [@Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Do_Not_Taunt)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-ted-cruz-a-u-s-citizen/733270/9 "2015-10-02T16:20:37Z")
Is this a parody thread? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-ted-cruz-a-u-s-citizen/733270/10 "2015-10-02T16:25:01Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > That’s what I want to know. Did she, or didn’t she? Only her hairdresser knows for sure. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-ted-cruz-a-u-s-citizen/733270/11 "2015-10-02T16:31:13Z")
> [@A\_isha](#): > > So, unless you or someone else can dig up where she did explicitly affirm this (State Department records, testimony from a Consular Official, etc.), then she didn’t. Shouldn’t it be answered definitively, rather than saying ‘Well, his mother may or may not have renounced her U.S. citizenship. But whatever. Once he’s President, it doesn’t matter if he’s a citizen or not.’? ---
**Author:** ![A\_isha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@A\_isha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A_isha)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-ted-cruz-a-u-s-citizen/733270/12 "2015-10-02T17:32:50Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Shouldn’t it be answered definitively, rather than saying ‘Well, his mother may or may not have renounced her U.S. citizenship. But whatever. Once he’s President, it doesn’t matter if he’s a citizen or not.’? Since the default is that she didn’t renounce her US citizenship, that _is_ the definitive answer unless someone can show she renounced her citizenship. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-ted-cruz-a-u-s-citizen/733270/13 "2015-10-02T18:28:06Z")
Plus, this is the first time I’ve seen any mention that his parents acquired Canadian citizenship. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-ted-cruz-a-u-s-citizen/733270/14 "2015-10-02T18:28:09Z")
[Ted Cruz was born in the U.S.A.](http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/gop-base-obama-wasnt-born-us-cruz-was), or at least was more likely to have been born in U.S. than Obama. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-ted-cruz-a-u-s-citizen/733270/15 "2015-10-02T18:38:35Z")
> [@A\_isha](#): > > Since the default is that she didn’t renounce her US citizenship How do you know she didn’t renounce her U.S. citizenship? ---
**Author:** ![A\_isha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@A\_isha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A_isha)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-ted-cruz-a-u-s-citizen/733270/16 "2015-10-02T18:40:08Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > How do you know she didn’t renounce her U.S. citizenship? Because if she did, the State Department would have a record of it. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-ted-cruz-a-u-s-citizen/733270/17 "2015-10-02T18:50:05Z")
Has the State Department said whether or not they have a record of it? ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-ted-cruz-a-u-s-citizen/733270/18 "2015-10-02T18:58:50Z")
Would you believe them if they did? ---
**Author:** ![Wolf333](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf333/32/3460_2.png) [@Wolf333](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolf333)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-ted-cruz-a-u-s-citizen/733270/19 "2015-10-02T19:11:41Z")
In another article, the same author refers to Rubio as an anchor baby. She’s just a wingnut birther. > **[Examiner is back - Examiner.com](https://examiner.com)** > > Examiner.com is the go-to source for millions of people who want to know what's happening in their city. And we're still growing! BTW, the Examiner is a terrible source. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-ted-cruz-a-u-s-citizen/733270/20 "2015-10-02T19:26:53Z")
Ted Cruz is a US citizen who is disqualified from the Presidency by virtue of being a raving loon. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-ted-cruz-a-u-s-citizen/733270.md?page=2)