Ted Cruz under fire for Father’s Day message where he celebrates dad’s immigrant story – while ‘bashing other illegals’

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Senator Ted Cruz was called out for making a Father's Day post celebrating the fact that his father fled Cuba and came to the US as a refugee.

Larry Huynh, a Democratic messaging strategist, pointed out that modern Republicans would consider Mr Cruz's father an "illegal" if he fled to the US today, and asked "should we deport your Dad?"

"He fled oppression. He gave up everything to give his family a good life. He overstayed his visa. Yet the US granted him asylum," he wrote in a post. "Just like all the other 'illegals' you bash."

Mr Huynh continued, saying the elder Cruz's only "real crime was bringing you here."

The post was a response to Mr Cruz's Father's Day post.

"My dad, Rafael, is my hero. He fled Cuba after being imprisoned and suffering beatings at the hands of Batista's thugs," Mr Cruz wrote. "He came to America with $100 sewn into his underwear and didn't speak a lick of English."

The post continued to praise the elder Cruz and celebrate his accomplishments, rising from a poor migrant to a man whose son became a US senator.

Mr Huynh said the elder Cruz's "work ethic represented the best in America," before saying the senator "represented the worst."

"You demonise asylum seekers like him. You even wrote a bill to ship immigrants to Martha's Vineyard," he wrote.

He then shared his own father's story, saying — like Mr Cruz's father — that his also escaped his home country and fled to the US.

"We love him for it, and repay him by helping build this nation of immigrants to be the best it can be – for everyone," he wrote. "You, on the other hand, repay your Dad by treating your fellow immigrants as pawns in your sick game – including HIM... on FATHER'S DAY."

He then accused Mr Cruz of helping Donald Trump "lead a coup to overthrow the country your father fought to stay in" before saying that "most of America is not as cruel as you."

"I'll give you $100 to put in your underwear, and then pay to ship you from our home state of Texas, and out to any place that will take you. Cuba? Canada?" he wrote. "Cancun?"