'There’s a lot of important things that need to happen': Cruz meets with Texas Southern University officials, students

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz visited Texas Southern University on Feb. 22 where he met with students and campus officials to discuss a variety of issues. 

Houston CBS affiliate KHOU reported the meeting was behind closed doors and off-limits to the public, with only a select number of students present.

"The needs in terms of funding, the needs in terms of infrastructure," Cruz said, according to the station. "There’s a lot of important things that need to happen.”

Some of the students told KHOU that the meeting with Cruz, a Republican, was civil. 

While it's unclear what the political views of the students are, they say the meeting was merely about the university and its needs.

"I think it was a good meeting to let him know about the needs that TSU has," student Osvaldo Vela told KHOU.

According to TSU law student Aaron Abram, the path to real change starts with having "uncomfortable conversations."

"And that means having people that you may not necessarily want to speak to," Abram told KHOU. "But it’s important and imperative that you do speak to them.”

Cruz's visit, however, wasn't without criticism as State Sen. Borris Miles (D-Houston) decried it as “political theater,” KHOU reported.

Miles also took issue with Cruz's anti-critical race theory stance. 

In response, Cruz said the nation's school shouldn't be teaching propaganda but "real history."

A few students had a word with Cruz before he left the university, their biggest grievance being his comments on President Joe Biden's goal to put a black woman on the U.S. Supreme Court.

"A huge population of our school is black women and that hits home, specifically, to what we stand for here,” Abram told KHOU.

Cruz laid out his criteria for the next Supreme Court justice.

"I think we ought to have justices who defend the Constitution, defend the Bill of Rights and protect our rights," he said, according to KHOU. "And I think that’s what most Americans want.”

The historically black university in Houston's Third Ward neighborhood said in a statement that it advocates the expression of diverse views and welcomes elected officials who wish to help the school in any way.