Ted Cruz and Hong Kongâs Democrats The Senator blocks a bill opening Americaâs door to victims of China. Sen. Ted Cruz in November. Photo: bill clark/pool/Shutterstock By Dec. 24, 2020 6:37 pm ET Rafael Cruz, the father of Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, came to the U.S. from Cuba in 1957 on a four-year student visa. He had sided with Fidel Castro against the Batista dictatorship, for which he was jailed and beaten. But he later soured on Castro and was granted political asylum in the U.S. Like so many people who have escaped political oppression, Mr...