Following the terrorist attacks in Brussels, Belgium on Tuesday morning, Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz said law enforcement must be empowered to "patrol and secure Muslim neighborhoods before they become radicalized."
"We will do what we can to help them fight this scourge, and redouble our efforts to make sure it does not happen here," Cruz said in a statement. "We need to immediately halt the flow of refugees from countries with a significant al Qaida or ISIS presence. We need to empower law enforcement to patrol and secure Muslim neighborhoods before they become radicalized."
The city was rocked Tuesday morning by two explosions at Brussels Airport in Zaventem and a third at Maelbeek metro station. ISIS claimed responsibility shortly after the attacks.
In his statement, Cruz cited political correctness, fear, and lax immigration policy as contributing to the rise of terror.
“For years, the west has tried to deny this enemy exists out of a combination of political correctness and fear," he said. "We can no longer afford either. Our European allies are now seeing what comes of a toxic mix of migrants who have been infiltrated by terrorists and isolated, radical Muslim neighborhoods."
He added later, “We need to secure the southern border to prevent terrorist infiltration. And we need to execute a coherent campaign to utterly destroy ISIS. The days of the United States voluntarily surrendering to the enemy to show how progressive and enlightened we are at an end. Our country is at stake.”