... and ally likens migrants to slaves

A KEY member of Donald Trump’s cabinet has ignited a firestorm of criticism by comparing immigrants to slaves.

Housing and urban development secretary Ben Carson sparked a backlash led by Hollywood stars after making the remarks in his first speech to staff. Samuel L. Jackson and Whoopi Goldberg were among those who added to the furious reactions on Twitter.

Dr Carson, a former Republican presidential candidate, spoke about immigrants coming to America because it was a ‘land of dreams and opportunity’.

’There were other immigrants who came here in the bottom of slave ships, worked even longer, even harder for less,’ he added.

‘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.’ Mr Carson, who is black, later tried to explain his comments by tweeting that ‘ you can be an involuntary immigrant’.

However, The comment did little to calm the outrage as yet another president’s cabinet pick found himsefl in hot water.

But Pulp Fiction star Jackson responded: ‘ Immigrants? In the bottom of SLAVE SHIPS?’

And Goldberg tweeted: ‘ Ben Carson.. please read or watch Roots, most immigrants come here VOLUNTARILY, can’t really say the same about the slaves... they were stolen.’

In 2015, Dr Carson said women who have abortions are akin to slaveowners who ‘ thought that they had the right to do whatever they wanted to that slave’. During the presidential election campaign, the neurosurgeon millionaire claimed the Holocaust could have been prevented if the Jews had guns.