Susan Walsh / AP

Ben Carson, the newly confirmed secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), referred to slaves as “immigrants” during a speech Monday.

Carson was speaking to HUD employees in Washington, DC, when he said that “there were other immigrants who came here in the bottom of slave ships worked even longer, even harder for less.”

“But they too had a dream that one day their sons, daughters, grandsons, granddaughters, great-grandsons, great-granddaughters, might pursue prosperity and happiness in this land,” Carson added.

Carson, a retired neurosurgeon who sought the Republican presidential nomination before throwing his support behind President Trump, was confirmed as Housing and Urban Development secretary last week.

Carson’s comments about slavery quickly prompted criticism, including a tweet from the NAACP.

By Monday afternoon, Carson was a top trending topic on Twitter in the US, with many expressing incredulity and anger over his remark.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development did not immediately respond to BuzzFeed News’ request for comment Monday.

Watch Carson’s speech here:

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