Ted Cruz may have the aura of a presidential contender, but is he eligible to run? The newly sworn-in Texas senator was born in Canada, to a mother who was born in Delaware and Cuban father. Temple law professor Peter Spiro said Cruz has a “very strong argument” that he is indeed natural born. While the 14th Amendment to the Constitution grants citizenship to anyone born inside the U.S., children born to American citizens outside the country attain citizenship through a law passed by Congress, according to Spiro.