President Donald Trump defied charges Thursday from Democrats and the establishment media that he was a racist for supporting tough measures on immigration enforcement.

“Well you know the word ‘racist’ is used about every Republican that’s winning,” Trump said in an interview with Christian Broadcast Network. “Any time a Republican is leading they take out the ‘R’ word, the ‘racist’ word.”

Trump denied that he was anti-immigrant, asserting that the country needed them but that all immigrants had to come into the country legally.

“I’m not anti-immigrant at all. I’m all for people coming into the country legally and people based on merit,” he said.

The president also announced that he would no longer continue the practice of “catch and release” for migrants claiming asylum at the southern border.

“We’re going to catch; we’re not going to release. They’re going to stay with us until the deportation hearing or the asylum hearing takes place,” Trump said during a speech at the White House.