Sen. Ted Cruz speaks about Beto O'Rourke challenge at GOP Lincoln Day Dinner in El Paso

Sen. Ted Cruz sought to energize Republicans on Saturday in a visit to El Paso, the hometown of his Democratic challenger U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke.

Cruz, R-Texas, was the keynote speaker Saturday night at the El Paso County Republican Party's 31st Annual Lincoln Day Dinner at the Centennial center in Fort Bliss.

Cruz praised what he said were achievements in the first year of the Trump administration, including tax cuts, increases in military spending and the appointment of conservative judges.

In a news conference before the dinner, Cruz also talked about mass shootings, opposing a path to citizenship for young undocumented immigrants and the case of a Border Patrol agent that Cruz had claimed died in an "attack."

More: Ted Cruz vs. Beto O'Rourke called the 'marquee race in Texas'

Cruz and O'Rourke must first get past their respective primary elections March 6 before meeting in what has been described as the "marquee race in Texas" in the November general election

Cruz told the crowd of about 500 at the Lincoln Day Dinner that Republicans need to turn out to vote in November.

"What you are seeing, those on the extreme left that are filled with rage. They are filled with hatred for the president and every one of us should be cautious," Cruz said.

"The far left is going to show up and vote. We are already seeing in early votes right now Democratic turnout shattering records," he said.

Cruz added, "In Texas, there's nothing Democrats would like more than to turn Texas blue. The men and women in this room are on the frontlines of the battleground to make sure that doesn't happen. If we know the hard left is going to show up in big, big numbers. Then our job is clear, we got to make sure conservatives show up in big, big numbers to keep Texas red."

More: Beto O'Rourke raises $2.2 million for Senate race in 1st weeks of 2018

O'Rourke has been traveling and holding town hall meetings across Texas and has outraised Cruz with O'Rourke raising $2.2 million compared with $800,000 raised by Cruz this year.

Cruz said that Republicans need to vote to "keep Texas bright, bright red. And any unemployed Democrats are welcome to join a rock band" — a jab at O'Rourke, who used to be in a punk rock band when he was younger.

Cruz answered questions on several topics during a news conference before the dinner.

Dreamers

Cruz said he opposes a proposal by President Donald Trump to provide a path to citizenship to 1.8 million young undocumented immigrants raised in the United States known as "Dreamers."

"I think that's insane. I think that's markedly to the left of where Barrack Obama was," Cruz said about Trump's proposal for those eligible for protection from deportation under Obama's Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals program.

More: UT/TT Poll: A hard line on immigration, but not on deporting “Dreamers”

"I don't think we should be granting citizenship to anyone here illegally. The rule of law matters and we should be applauding the rule of law," Cruz said.

Mass shootings

The mass shooting at a high school in Parkland, Fla., was a tragedy but the answer should be on cracking down on violent criminals not gun control, Cruz said.

"There is a lot we can do to protect our kids and keep them safer but we don't get that done by attacking the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens," Cruz said. "We get that done by going after criminals and stopping violent criminals."

More: Montwood High students demand gun control at Beto O'Rourke's town hall meeting

Cruz pointed out that laws already existed but went ignored that would have kept firearms away from the gunman in the November church shooting in Sutherland Springs, Texas, because of his criminal record.

Border Patrol death

In November, Border Patrol Agent Rogelio Martinez of El Paso died and another agent were injured near Van Horn, Texas.

The day of the agent's death, Cruz issued a statement offering condolences and saying the agents were "attacked."

More: CBP memo details investigation, suggests Border Patrol Agent Rogelio Martinez died in fall

FBI: No evidence of scuffle, attack in unsolved U.S. Border Patrol agent's death

Border Patrol union says agents were "ambushed" but questions remain

Earlier this month, FBI and U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials said that a lengthy investigation found no evidence the agents were attacked and suggested that the agents were injured when they accidentally fell in the dark of night.

"In this instance, it appears in the subsequent reports that it was not an attack," Cruz said. "We are grateful for that but that doesn't change the fact that being a Border Patrol agent is an incredibly dangerous job."

Daniel Borunda may be reached at 546-6102; dborunda@elpasotimes.com; @BorundaDaniel on Twitter.