“I think this is a reflection of his misunderstanding of civil liberties, that you can start surveilling people just because they belong to a group,” said Ron Paul, the former Texas congressman and scion of the modern libertarian movement. “That’s something that’s done in a police state, and it’s not supposed to be done in this country.”…

But critics said it smacks of the bloated bureaucratic programs that Cruz said he wants to do away with.

“Personally, I was troubled by it. It certainly sounds more intrusive — more big government, less effective than policies I’d like to see,” said Cato Institute Executive Vice President David Boaz, who is not publicly supporting any candidate.