Texas Sen. Ted Cruz took issue with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who last week accused Republicans of holding the children crossing the border from Central American countries hostage.
"I'll tell you who is holding these kids ransom: It’s Harry Reid and the president," Cruz said on "Fox News Sunday." "Because their view is: Don’t do anything to fix the problem."
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Reid told reporters last week that Republicans' failure to pass comprehensive immigration reform is the reason tens of thousands of unaccompanied children have flooded the border in recent months.
But Cruz told Fox News it is the Democrats' own bill that is causing the problem because the children are telling border agents they are coming because they believe they will be given amnesty.
Reid also said
the border with Mexico is secure.
"Harry Reid lives in the Ritz Carlton in Washington, D.C., and I'm sure from his perspective the border seems secure," Cruz said. "I would invite Harry Reid to come with me down to Texas and see the border."
With 90,000 children expected to come into the country illegally this year, the border is far from secure, Cruz said.
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