U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz announced Monday night that he will renounce his Canadian citizenship, even though he claimed he was unaware he was ever considered a Canadian citizen.

Cruz releleased his birth certificate to the Dallas Morning News last week to silence critics claiming he was ineligible to run in 2016.

Cruz was born in Calgary to an American mother in 1970 making him an “instant U.S. citizen.”

However, “under Canadian law, he also became a citizen of that country the moment he was born,” the paper reported Sunday.

According to the Washington Post, Cruz issued a statement Monday saying:

Now the Dallas Morning News says that I may technically have dual citizenship. Assuming that is true, then sure, I will renounce any Canadian citizenship.

Nothing against Canada, but I’m an American by birth and as a U.S. senator; I believe I should be only an American.

Because I was a U.S. citizen at birth, because I left Calgary when I was 4 and have lived my entire life since then in the U.S., and because I have never taken affirmative steps to claim Canadian citizenship, I assumed that was the end of the matter.

Legal experts told the Morning News that his dual citizenship was automatic whether he claimed citizenship or not.

The Constitution requires a president to be a “natural born citizen,” which many experts say Cruz is because his mother was American.  The Constitution says nothing about individuals with dual citizenship, the Morning News reported.

Cruz, who appears to be considering a 2016 run for president, is making all attempts to prove his eligibility to critics who believe his Canadian birth makes him ineligible.

Read more: “Ted Cruz releases birth certificate to prove presidential eligibility” 

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Janeen Capizola

"And though she be but little, she is fierce." And fun! This conservative-minded political junkie, mom of three, dancer and one-time NFL cheerleader holds a bachelor of arts degree in political science. [email protected]. Twitter: @JaneenBPR

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