Ben Carson just compared slaves to immigrants dreaming of a better life

Ben Carson.
(Image credit: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images)

Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson seemingly referred to slaves as "immigrants" during his speech Monday to employees of the department he was recently confirmed to lead. "That's what America is about. 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," said Carson, who is the only African-American member of President Trump's Cabinet.

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Carson went on to say that the slaves who were captured and taken to America against their will had "a dream" just like the immigrants who came to America of their own accord in search of a better life. "[T]hey 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 said.

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