Examining GOP candidates' plans to combat terrorism
WASHINGTON, D.C. --What would the presidential candidates do about terrorism here at home?
CBS News compares the plans of Donald Trump, Sen. Ted Cruz, and Gov. John Kasich.
To stop an attack in the U.S. like the ones in Paris and Brussels, Cruz wants law enforcement to patrol and secure Muslim neighborhoods before they become radicalized.
"We need to be using proactive policing, we need to be using proactive law enforcement, and intelligence, and national security resources to prevent radicalization," Cruz has said.
In the aftermath of 9/11, the New York City Police Department used a similar tactic to monitor mosques for terror connections.
But NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton ended that program in 2014 and denounced Cruz's idea in a New York Daily News op-ed, writing the city does "not single out any populace ... for selective enforcement."
Kasich also took a dim view of Cruz's plan
"We're going to start creating more divisions, policing neighborhoods of Muslims? How are we going to do that?" he said.
Trump supports Cruz's proposal and remains focused on immigration.
"Donald J. Trump is calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country's representatives can figure out what the hell is going on," Trump said.
Kasich and Cruz oppose that idea. But both favor tight restrictions on immigration from war-torn parts of the Middle East.
Trump has also called for a return to waterboarding terror suspects -- as well as this: "I would bomb the hell out of ISIS. Yes."
Cruz concurs even if the air war inflicted civilian casualties.
"We need a comprehensive strategy to utterly destroy them. That involves carpet bombing them to oblivion," said Cruz.
In an effort to deny Trump the delegates to secure the nomination, some parts of the GOP establishment are rallying to Cruz's side. Jeb Bush will hold fund-raisers for Cruz this week. And Cruz expects to pick up the endorsement of Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker on Tuesday.