Ted Cruz: Wants to “Patrol and Secure” American Muslim Communities

By Derek Welch --
25 Mar 2016 --

Ted Cruz wants local law enforcement to “patrol and secure” Muslim neighborhoods in America.

After the recent terrorist bombings in Brussels, Republican Presidential candidate and Texas Senator Ted Cruz courted controversy by stating that Muslim neighborhoods in the U.S. must be watched more carefully.

Cruz: “Patrol and Secure” Muslim neighborhoods in the U.S.[/tweetthis]

Cruz also added that the U.S. must have a control over the number of immigrants flowing in from countries that are known to have connections with ISIS or Al Qaeda. He emphasized on the need to empower local law enforcement agencies towards “patrolling and securing” Muslim neighborhoods in America before they fall victim to Islamic radicalization.

He further added that the U.S. must secure the borders in the south to fight off terrorist infiltration and that an effective campaign to destroy ISIS must be executed.

His statements targeting Muslims has now drawn fire from several individuals and groups. New York Senator Chuck Schumer tweeted a response stating that America does not do that (referring to Cruz’s ideas on Islamic Surveillance).

Ohio Governor, John Kasich, who is running for the Presidential seat from the Democrat side, criticized Cruz at a press conference in Minnesota. Minnesota is a U.S. state that is known for its sizeable Muslim population.

In his criticism, Kasich clearly implied that America is a country that does not divide people. He also implied that there is a difference between being a Muslim and being a radicalized Muslim.

Kasich further mentioned that authorities must be provided with everything possible to carry on the fight against terrorism. However, monitoring an entire community for their faith would be crossing the line.

Muslim Advocates, a legal advocacy group from California, came out strongly against Cruz’s rhetoric. The group issued a statement saying that targeting Americans for their faith was not only wrong and bigoted, but also a waste of resources for law enforcement agencies, which would be better off conducting investigations based on intelligence and credible leads.

The group added that using a blanket approach to monitor a specific community would be unconstitutional and foolish. They further mentioned that targeting Muslims was exactly what the terrorists wanted and Cruz’s moves would directly play into their hands.

Today @tedcruz said our government needs to step up to "patrol & secure" Muslim neighborhoods. Replace "Muslim" with "Black" or "Jewish".
— Shaun King (@ShaunKing) March 22, 2016

However, Cruz seemed least concerned about his prejudiced and discriminatory statements. He further went on to criticize current U.S. President Barack Obama on his political correctness and unwillingness to accept the threat of radical Islam.

Cruz’s Republican rival, Donald Trump, came out in support of the Texas Senator stating that he would support Cruz’s plan. He also added that there was a “radical Islamic terrorism problem” and local law enforcement agencies can help because they know a lot about Muslims.