Ted Cruz Yells at Reporter in Heated Argument at Border: 'Telling Lies!'

Texas Senator Ted Cruz berated a reporter who asked what Republicans have done to prevent illegal immigration at the southern border ahead of the expiration of Title 42.

Speaking at a press conference in Brownsville, Texas, while visiting a border detention facility in the Rio Grande Valley, Cruz blamed the Biden administration for the record-breaking numbers of illegal crossing and migrant arrests hours before the immigration restrictions known as Title 42 expired.

Title 42, which had been in place since March 2020, was lifted at midnight on May 11. The emergency health authority allowed U.S. officials to turn away migrants who came to the U.S.-Mexico border on the grounds of preventing the spread of COVID-19.

The title expiring coincides with the end of the broad COVID public health emergency, with the World Health Organization recently declaring that COVID-19 is no longer considered a global health emergency.

During his press conference, Cruz hit out at a reporter who asked what Republicans have been doing to ease the crisis at the border, which has seen a record-breaking 4.6 million arrests of migrants attempting to enter the U.S. illegally since President Joe Biden took office.

Cruz also accused the report of telling "lies" about the rate of illegal immigration during the Biden administration.

"Let me ask you something, what rate of illegal immigration did we have in 2020? Do you know anything?" Cruz asked the reporter.

The reporter then asked how long the Texas senator has been in office for, to which Cruz replied 11 years.

"You asked your question, you want to hold a press conference, you can do it over there," Cruz added.

"The talking point of the Democrats, which this media reporter happily parrots, is, 'gosh, the problem can't be fixed.' There's one little problem with that. It is an utter and complete lie."

"In 2020, the last year of the Trump presidency, we had the lowest rate of illegal immigration in 45 years. You ask what I have done? I've championed the men and women of Border Patrol, I championed securing the border, I Championed Remain in Mexico, and we turned this problem around and solved it," Cruz added.

"Joe Biden inherited the lowest rate of illegal immigration in 45 years, and the first day in office. He made political decisions to cause this problem, and you should be ashamed of yourself. If you're a reporter, and you're not reporting facts. You're telling lies."

Trump's hardline immigration policies did see sharp decreases in arrests for illegal border crossings, including the number of people detained at the border during his first year in office being the lowest level since 1971.

In comparison, Biden's first year in office saw a record number of people illegally crossing the southern border, a trend that has continued throughout his presidency.

Border agents detained more than 2.5 million people at the southern border in 2022, including more than 250,000 in December, the highest monthly figure on record.

Republicans are now further attacking Biden over his handling of the border crisis with Title 42 expiring.

Ahead of the Title 42 restrictions being lifted, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said: "I want to be very clear: Our borders are not open.

"People who cross our border unlawfully and without a legal basis to remain will be promptly processed and removed.

"If anyone arrives at our southern border after midnight tonight, they will be presumed ineligible for asylum and subject to steeper consequences for unlawful entry, including a minimum five-year ban on reentry and potential criminal prosecution.

"We have surged 24,000 Border Patrol agents and officers, and thousands of troops, contractors, and over a thousand asylum officers and judges to see this through."