democratsmr cruz has introduced legislation that aims to speed up the asylum process rendering long detentions unnecessary his bill would double to about 750 the number of federal immigration judges and provide for expedited processing of asylum cases so that they could be resolved within 14 days mr trump a onetime nemesis of mr cruz on the 2016 presidential campaign trail has mocked the proposalbut senator robert menendez democrat of new jersey said that mr cruz speedy timetable creates a revolving door that would makes it impossible for any asylum seeker to gather the facts and witnesses necessary to prove his case and he complained that mr cruzs legislation includes no provisions for alternatives to detention such as ankle bracelet monitors which could be used to track migrants as they await court hearingsimagecrediterin schaff for the new york timesi dont know how you bridge that view and diannes view which is much more narrow about making a policy that we dont detain children no 1 and we do seek alternatives to detention mr menendez saidms feinstein has her own bill a straightforward measure that simply bars the administration from separating parents and children except in cases where the child is in danger it is backed by every senate democrat republicans deride the bill as a catch and release planthis is not what we need to do to enforce our laws and treat people in a compassionate and dignified sort of way senator john cornyn of texas the no 2 republican in the senate told reporters tuesdaymr cruz and ms feinstein could hardly be more different mr cruz 47 a onetime tea party acolyte has never shown any compunction about blowing up the courtly traditions of the senate apart from his unsuccessful presidential bid he is perhaps best remembered for virtually singlehandedly shutting down the federal government over his partys refusal to defund the affordable care act he would not win a popularity contest in the senateif you killed ted cruz on the floor of the senate and the trial was in the senate nobody would convict you mr cruzs fellow republican senator lindsey graham of south carolina once saidthe genteel ms feinstein who turned 85 on friday is the oldest member of the senate and is a guardian of the traditions mr cruz has eschewed she is the chambers fiercest advocate for gun control a cause mr cruz abhorsbut on national security and intelligence matters she tends to work across the aisle and she said tuesday that she has no reservations about linking arms with mr cruzoh please she said with a smile and a wave of her hand there was one scuffle and i felt i gave as good as i gotlike everything else on capitol hill their effort is unfolding against the backdrop of the fall midterm elections ms feinstein who handily won her primary in overwhelmingly democratic california appears likely to coast to reelection but mr cruz is facing an unusually spirited challenge from representative beto orourke