Ted Cruz wants police empowered to 'patrol and secure Muslim neighborhoods' after Brussels attacks

Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, one of the three remaining GOP presidential candidates, said in a Tuesday statement that the police should be empowered to "patrol and secure" neighborhoods with large Muslim populations "before they become radicalized."

The post was in response to the horrific terrorist attacks in Brussels earlier in the day, which killed at least 30 people in the Belgian city.

"For years, the west has tried to deny this enemy exists out of a combination of political correctness and fear," he wrote. "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."

Cruz also called for the country to secure the border with Mexico to "prevent terrorist infiltration." In other media appearances on Tuesday, Cruz chastised Obama for not using the phrase "radical Islamic terrorism" in his speech addressing the attack from Cuba and reiterated that he would "carpet bomb" ISIS-controlled territory if he wins the presidential race.

"The days of the United States voluntarily surrendering to the enemy to show how progressive and enlightened we are at an end," Cruz wrote.

"We will do what we can to help them fight this scourge, and redouble our efforts to make sure it does not happen here. 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."

Read Cruz's full statement below:

Today radical Islamic terrorists targeted the men and women of Brussels as they went to work on a spring morning. In a series of co-ordinated attacks they murdered and maimed dozens of innocent commuters at subway stations and travelers at the airport.

For the terrorists, the identities of the victims were irrelevant. They - we - are all part of an intolerable culture that they have vowed to destroy.

For years, the west has tried to deny this enemy exists out of a combination of political correctness and fear. 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.

We will do what we can to help them fight this scourge, and redouble our efforts to make sure it does not happen here.

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.

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 can be are at an end. Our country is at stake.