'This is a really touchy subject': Charles Barkley goes off on immigration

National Basketball League Hall of Fame star Charles Barkley called the treatment of some immigrants a "travesty and a disgrace" during a sports broadcast Sunday.

Barkley appeared to oppose some of the actions from the Trump administration to fulfill the president's order for mass deportations.

'Some of the stuff that's happening to immigrants in our country right now is really unfortunate and is really unfair.'

The March Madness pregame show on CBS was praising a University of Connecticut basketball player named Alex Karaban, who is the son of immigrants from Belarus, when Barkley used the case as a springboard.

"I want to be very careful with my words right now because this is a really touchy subject for me," he said. "I love that kid and his family, but the way some of these other immigrants are getting treated in our country right now is a travesty and a disgrace."

Barkley gave no examples of what he believed was improper treatment of immigrants.

"I think there's a difference between amazing immigrants and criminal immigrants, and I think what's going on in our country, what we're doing to some of these amazing immigrants, is really unfortunate, and it's really sad," he continued.

"And that's a great immigrant story. We have a lot of great immigrant stories out there who their stories need to be told," he added. "But some of the stuff that's happening to immigrants in our country right now is really unfortunate and is really unfair. But immigrants built this country, and we should admire them and respect them."

A video of his comments was widely circulated on social media.

Barkley has often weighed in on political topics, most notably when he defended sports players who refused to take a knee in the Black Lives Matter protests. He said they should not be "vilified" for their beliefs.

RELATED: Charles Barkley defends sports players who refuse to kneel, and social media is melting down

Barkley said he considered running for governor in his home state of Alabama, but he has lately soured on both political parties.

"I think most white people and black people are great people. ... I really believe that in my heart," he said in 2021.

"But I think our system is set up where our politicians, whether they are Republicans or Democrats, are designed to make us not like each other, so they can keep their grasp of money and power," Barkley added. "They divide and conquer."

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