On Sunday, during an appearance on “Meet the Press,” NBC News’ Tom Brokaw reiterated what he called his long-held belief that “Hispanics should work harder at assimilation.”

The veteran news reporter offered his thoughts on immigration during a roundtable discussion on the government shutdown over President Donald Trump’s demand for funding a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

“The problem is in Wyoming and in South Dakota, they think they need a wall. And in Texas and in Arizona, they don’t,” host Chuck Todd said.

“And a lot of this, we don’t want to talk about,” Brokaw said. “But the fact is, on the Republican side, a lot of people see the rise of an extraordinary, important, new constituent in American politics, Hispanics, who will come here and all be Democrats. Also, I hear, when I push people a little harder, ‘Well, I don’t know whether I want brown grandbabies.’ I mean, that’s also a part of it.”

Brokaw: "The Hispanics should be working harder on assimilation." pic.twitter.com/D4QGQhSRZh — Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) January 27, 2019

“It’s the intermarriage that is going on and the cultures that are conflicting with each other,” Brokaw went on. “I also happen to believe that the Hispanics should work harder at assimilation. That’s one of the things I’ve been saying for a long time. You know, they ought not to be just codified in their communities but make sure that all their kids are learning to speak English, and that they feel comfortable in the communities. And that’s going to take outreach on both sides, frankly.”

Later in the broadcast, “PBS NewsHour” White House correspondent Yamiche Alcindor addressed Brokaw’s remarks.

“I would just say that we also need to adjust what we think of as America,” Alcindor said. “You’re talking about assimilation. I grew up in Miami, where people speak Spanish, but their kids speak English. And the idea that we think Americans can only speak English, as if Spanish and other languages wasn’t always part of America, is, in some ways, troubling.”

Thank you, @Yamiche, for speaking up.

This tweet was written by an “assimilated” Latina who speaks English. pic.twitter.com/p2kpnaXOTO — Andrea Leon Grossmann ☀️ (@AndreaLeon) January 27, 2019

No one on the panel asked Brokaw to clarify who has told him they didn’t want “brown grandbabies.”

Many Twitter users declared Brokaw’s remarks xenophobic. Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) called Brokaw “stunningly ignorant of the Hispanic community.”

.@tombrokaw, for a celebrated @NBCNews journalist who spent years chronicling American society you seem stunningly ignorant of the Hispanic community in this country. Unfortunate to see xenophobia pass for elevated political commentary @MeetThePress https://t.co/nKoLhjWdbk — Joaquin Castro (@JoaquinCastrotx) January 27, 2019

“Unfortunate to see xenophobia pass for elevated political commentary,” Castro wrote on Twitter.

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and activist Jose Antonio Vargas, who has written at length about his experience as an undocumented immigrant in America, also hit back at Brokaw, arguing that the country’s diversity is part of its strength.

Dear @tombrokaw:



Define "assimilation."



I'm sure you know that the United States of America does not have an official language. The USA speaks in many tongues––then as now. That linguistic diversity is part of our strength, especially in a globalized economy. https://t.co/qnrOafoFKi — Jose Antonio Vargas (@joseiswriting) January 27, 2019

Brokaw addressed his comments Sunday evening via Twitter.

“I feel terrible a part of my comments on Hispanics offended some members of that proud culture,” he wrote. “From my days reporting on cesar chavez to documenting the many contributions of hispanics in all parts of our culture [...] i’ve worked hard to knock down false stereo types. in my final comment in Meet i said ALL sides hv to work harder [...] at finding common ground - which i strongly believe. dialogue not division."

i feel terrible a part of my comments on Hispanics offended some members of that proud culture — Tom Brokaw (@tombrokaw) January 27, 2019

from my days reporting on cesar chavez to documenting the many contributions of hispanics in all parts of our culture — Tom Brokaw (@tombrokaw) January 27, 2019

i’ve worked hard to knock down false stereo types. in my final comment in Meet i said ALL sides hv to work harder — Tom Brokaw (@tombrokaw) January 27, 2019

at finding common ground - which i strongly believe

dialogue not division — Tom Brokaw (@tombrokaw) January 27, 2019

my twitter acct failed me at the worst time.

i am sorry, truly sorry, my comments were offensive to

many. the great enduring american tradition of diversity is to be celebrated and cherished. yamiche, thank u for your comments.

let’s go forward together. — Tom Brokaw (@tombrokaw) January 28, 2019

A spokesperson for NBC News responded Monday to Brokaw’s remarks, calling them “inaccurate and inappropriate.”

NBC statement on Brokaw: “Tom’s comments were inaccurate and inappropriate and we are glad he apologized.” No mention of any action beyond that. — Brad Mielke (@TheBradMielke) January 28, 2019

This article has been updated with NBC’s statement.