During a conversation with his colleague Chris Cuomo, CNN host Don Lemon voiced anger over Republicans who don't agree with his viewpoint on the crisis at the southern border, saying they need to pray for "guidance."
"Who are we as a people to sit and judge people who are trying to come across for better lives and better conditions and to cast most of them or all of them in a light that they are trying to get something free or that they are breaking the law," Lemon said.
"Sure, there are people who come over illegally. Sure, there are people who have untoward intentions, but for the most part, people are coming over and risking their lives because they want to have a better life," Lemon continued. "They want to have what America offers, what America offered you, and what it has offered at least in the recent past to people like me."
He went on to say how he does not understand how supporters of legal immigration can question the motives of illegal immigrants bringing their young children across the border, referencing a picture of a Salvadoran father and his daughter face down in the water of the Rio Grande.
"If you're saying that to yourself, what a terrible sentiment to have. Get on your knees tonight and ask for guidance on how to feel about this issue and ask God to soften your heart or to at least speak to about who you have become as a human being," Lemon said.
Cuomo later chimed in and said he understands the "politics" of the immigration issue, prompting Lemon to say he doesn't understand it. He later cursed twice during the interview when Cuomo explained the sentiment behind those who want to enforce immigration laws, saying they are concerned about immigrants taking the jobs of Americans and costing taxpayers money taking care of illegal immigrants.
Last week, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.), who is running for the Democratic nomination for president, said his vision of Medicare for All would absolutely cover illegal immigrants living in the United States.
Former Colorado governor and Democratic presidential candidate John Hickenlooper also talked about his plan for illegal immigrants last week, saying 11 million illegal immigrants currently living in the United States should be given 10-year visas immediately.
Lemon has been critical of Trump's handling of the crisis at the southern border, but he has not offered the same level of scrutiny of Trump's Democratic predecessor, Barack Obama. Lemon's CNN colleague John King pointed out earlier Tuesday that Obama was called the "Deporter-In-Chief" by some of his Democratic opponents, adding that the border crisis was not created by Trump, the Washington Free Beacon reported.
King played a 2014 clip of Obama addressing the issue of holding children at the border.
"The problem is that under current law, once those kids come across the border, there's a system in which we're supposed to process them, take care of them, until we can send them back," Obama said.
"Our message, absolutely, is don't send your children unaccompanied on trains or through a bunch of smugglers, that is our direct message to the families in Central America," Obama continued. "Do not send your children to the border. If they do make it, they'll get sent back."