Texas Sen. Ted Cruz said ISIS is already in the United States and more are coming.
"Well look, you're right, eight Syrians were picked up in Texas trying to cross over illegally, and this is the consequence of the president refusing to enforce the law," Cruz told radio host Glenn Beck last week. "We have a serious national security risk because our southern border is not enforced."
Contrary to Cruz's statement, the eight Syrian reference presented themselves seeking asylum at the border.
Cruz added he believed ISIS was already in the United States and more were coming.
"Do you believe they're already here?" Beck asked the Texas senator.
"Of course they are," said Cruz. "Of course they are and more are coming. And ISIS has made clear their intention to carry out terror attacks just like the one in Paris here in America and to try and murder hundreds, or if they have their way, thousands of innocent Americans"
"As president, number one: I will secure the border. We will — I will build a wall that works," he continued. "We will triple the border control. We will increase fourfold the fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft. We will deport the criminal illegal aliens. We will put in place a strong biometric entry exit system. We will put in place a strong e-verify."
Cruz noted he recently released an immigration plan to secure the border.
"I rolled out just a week ago a detailed immigration plan laying out exactly how we will secure the border, by the way I wrote that in close consultation with Jeff Sessions and Steve King, designed to get the job done," he said. "But beyond that, as we discussed a minute ago, we will defeat ISIS."
Cruz noted "there are are Syrian Muslim refugees who are facing a humanitarian crisis," and he felt sympathy for their plight but said the refugees couldn't be vetted and therefore should be resettled in Middle Eastern countries.
Still, Cruz said Christian refugees should be admitted to the United States from the region.
"And then with respect to the christians which are a small minority, which are facing persecution and genocide — Christians are being crucified right now Glenn, they're being beheaded, and the president says it offensive and un-American to want to provide safe haven," he said. "Just 3% of the Syrians this administration has let in are Christians. He's ignoring the genesis [sic] directed at Middle Eastern Christians and it is wrong. That's what's offensive. And as president my first priority will be keeping this nation safe, securing our borders, and defending against radical Islamic terrorists who want to murder innocent Americans."