Arnold Schwarzenegger attacked the Trump administration's zero tolerance immigration policy on Tuesday, calling for lawmakers who fail to reach a consensus on immigration reform to be put in "cages" rather than migrant children.

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The actor and former Republican California governor slammed the White House and Congress for using migrant children as "pawns" in the national fight over a legislative fix for young immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally and the millions of other immigrants estimated to be in the country without legal status.

"As an immigrant, I know the magnetic power of America's greatness. As a former border Governor, I know the importance of securing our border and fixing our absurdly broken immigration system. As an American, I know that kids shouldn't be pawns while the 'adults' figure it out," he tweeted.

"The administration is right that we need to fix our immigration system," he added. "But if anybody is going to be in a cage while we wait for a comprehensive reform, let’s make it the politicians who don’t do their jobs in the cages, not innocent kids."

The administration is right that we need to fix our immigration system. But if anybody is going to be in a cage while we wait for a comprehensive reform, let’s make it the politicians who don’t do their jobs in the cages, not innocent kids. — Arnold (@Schwarzenegger) June 20, 2018

Schwarzenegger is just one of several prominent Republicans to condemn the Trump administration's policy, which mandates prosecution of all adults who cross the border illegally, thus separating them from their children in some cases. Thousands of children are currently being held in detention facilities as a result of the policy.

The actor, a frequent critic of the president and his administration, has spent his time following his departure from the governor's mansion meeting with other critics of the Trump administration, particularly concerning the White House's exit from the Paris Climate Accord last year.

Schwarzenegger attended a climate summit in Paris last December hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron that was attended by other top U.S. climate change activists including former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.