US Senator Ted Cruz, the conservative Republican firebrand from Texas, is running for president. Up until a few weeks ago, his candidacy was met with indifference as the media and political operatives all dismissed its viability. But that is beginning to change.

The voices arguing that Cruz, the favorite of Tea Party fiscal conservatives and Evangelical Christians may have what it takes to win the Republican nomination have multiplied.

Since arriving in Washington four years ago, Cruz has arguably been Israel’s most avid defender in the Senate. Last summer Cruz led the national opposition to US President Barack Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran, and continues to lead it today.

I interviewed Cruz by telephone from the campaign trail earlier this week about his views on the purpose of American foreign policy, US-Israel relations, the Iran nuclear deal and the Palestinian conflict with Israel.  The transcript of our conversation follows.

America is about to break every known immigration record. And yet you are unlikely to hear a word about it.

The Census Bureau projects that the foreign-born share of the U.S. population will soon eclipse the highest levels ever documented, and will continue surging to new record highs each year to come.

Yet activists and politicians who support unprecedented levels of immigration are never asked to explain how they believe such a policy will affect social stability, community cohesion or political assimilation.

They can simply cry out, “We must pass immigration reform!” without ever explaining what they believe “immigration reform” means.

Immigration reform should mean improvements to immigration policy to benefit Americans. But in Washington, immigration reform has devolved into a euphemism for legislation that opens America’s borders, floods her labor markets and gives corporations the legal right to import new foreign workers to replace their existing employees at lower pay.

After nearly half a century of massive immigration it is time to turn our attention to our own residents. We need an immigration policy that shows compassion for Americans.

[This letter by Senator Ted Cruz in his capacity as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight, was sent to Attorney General Lynch yesterday, October 14. It is a classic example of how Congress should investigate malfeasance by a federal agency.]

Dear Attorney General Lynch:

I write today to request information about the Department of Justice’s interactions with state and local law enforcement agencies across the United States.  

I am very concerned that the Administration’s policies, as currently implemented by the Department, may be reducing the effectiveness of state and local law enforcement officials, chilling their ability to stop criminals in their communities, and fueling a nationwide crime increase.

At a time when the President’s anti-police rhetoric is emboldening criminals and fueling a nationwide surge in violent crime, the American public deserves to know if the Department is using the machinery of the United States government to suppress state and local law enforcement’s effectiveness.  

I therefore request the following documents and information be provided to the Senate Committee as soon as possible, but no later than 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, October 20, 2015.