Ted Cruz vs. Marco Rubio on immigration

Ted Cruz is at odds with Marco Rubio over immigration legislation.

The two have much in common as first-term senators elected with the help of the tea party from states with large Latino populations. Both have Cuban roots and are considered rising GOP stars and prospective presidential rivals. But the pair is divided on immigration legislation — a key difference that could have significant ramifications for their party and political ambitions.

The Texas freshman is sharply critical of the pathway to citizenship for the nation’s 11 million undocumented immigrants, a central part of the bipartisan bill that Rubio helped write. Cruz is weighing whether to aggressively oppose the immigration overhaul, a decision that could neutralize Rubio’s outreach to conservative activists in order to minimize their opposition.

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Rubio, meanwhile, has emerged as a vigorous defender of the bill, making the pitch to conservative talk radio and right-wing commentators that the bill would offer the toughest border enforcement measures in history. For illegal immigrants to obtain green cards after 10 years and citizenship after 13 years under the bill, those enforcement measures would have to occur — and immigrants would have to pay fines and taxes while undergoing criminal background checks.

Asked to respond to Cruz’s assertion that points of agreement shouldn’t be held “hostage” to the pathway to citizenship, Rubio said: “He hasn’t told me that — obviously, I’ve read his public comments on it — he told me he wanted to review the whole bill.”