--- title: Ted Cruz Ad Shows Illegal Immigrants as Bankers and Lawyers description: In Ted Cruz's new immigration campaign ad, dozens of men with briefcases and women in heels slosh through a river and run through the desert canonical: https://time.com/4167503/ted-cruz-immigration-ad-2016-election/ author: Tessa Berenson article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-01-05T15:17:18.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-05T08:40:36.603Z article:section: Politics og:title: Ted Cruz's New Ad Depicts Illegal Immigrants as Lawyers and Bankers og:description: A creative new twist on the immigration argument og:url: https://time.com/4167503/ted-cruz-immigration-ad-2016-election/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt590cd2609040f706/69887593a988caf0d56b5c12/republican-debate-gop-presidential-021.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 5184 og:image:height: 2916 og:image:alt: CNN Republican Presidential Debate, Las Vegas, America - 15 Dec 2015 og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Ted Cruz's New Ad Depicts Illegal Immigrants as Lawyers and Bankers twitter:description: A creative new twist on the immigration argument twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt590cd2609040f706/69887593a988caf0d56b5c12/republican-debate-gop-presidential-021.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Ted Cruz's New Ad Depicts Illegal Immigrants as a Bunch of Lawyers and Bankers > Sponsored content. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=778025ce-f02f-4abc-b689-365261f96538&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Ted Cruz 'Invasion' [Watch (HLS stream): Ted Cruz 'Invasion'](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/Cdw7zA1v.m3u8) (1:00)  _Published 2016-01-05_  by [Tessa Berenson](https://time.com/author/tessa-berenson/)  ## Tessa Berenson Jan 5, 2016 3:17 PM UTC  by [Tessa Berenson](https://time.com/author/tessa-berenson/)  ## Tessa Berenson Jan 5, 2016 3:17 PM UTC Campaign ads [warning of immigrants illegally crossing the border](http://time.com/4165887/trump-first-ad-muslims/) into the U.S. are quickly becoming [a staple of the Republican presidential primary fight](http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/05/us/politics/republicans-turn-up-heat-in-iowa-setting-aside-good-for-bad-and-ugly.html?). But [Ted Cruz has added a new twist](https://twitter.com/tedcruz/status/684360863361273856): His latest ad imagines the border crossers as dozens of men with briefcases and women in heels, sloshing through a river and run through the desert. In a voiceover, the Texas Senator makes an economic case for being tough on illegal immigration, saying media and political elites cannot relate to the realities for lower-wage workers. “The politics of it would be very very different if a bunch of lawyers or bankers were crossing the Rio Grande,” he says. “Or if a bunch of people with journalism degrees were coming over and driving down the wages of the press.” **MORE** [_Here’s What’s Wrong With Donald Trump’s Campaign Ad_](http://time.com/4166931/donald-trumps-campaign-ad-shows-the-border-with-morocco/) Cruz’s spot comes in the same week that both businessman [Donald Trump](http://time.com/4165887/trump-first-ad-muslims/) and former Florida Gov. [Jeb Bush](http://time.com/4166005/jeb-bush-tv-ad-isis-donald-trump/) [released new ads](http://time.com/4166931/donald-trumps-campaign-ad-shows-the-border-with-morocco/), in a flurry of activity before early-voting begins in Iowa and New Hampshire. ## Transcript [ MUSIC ] I understand that when the mainstream media covers immigration it doesn't often see it as an economic issue, but I can tell you it is a very personal economic issue. [ MUSIC ] And I will say the politics of it would be very very different is a bunch of lawyers or bankers were crossing the Rio Grande. Or if a bunch of people with journalism Were coming over and driving down the wages in the press. Then we would see stories about the economic calamity that is befalling our nation. [ MUSIC ] If I'm elected president, we will triple the border patrol. We will build a wall that works. We will secure the border. 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