MSNBC host Stephanie Ruhle worried Friday that the detained children of illegal immigrants might one day turn into something akin to the Terminators from the James Cameron science-fiction film franchise.

Ruhle made the comment while speaking to her guest, Dr. Dana Sinopoli, a psychologist who warned that the stress of family separation could permanently damage the psyche of many migrant children.

"So to those who want to say, ‘I don't care about the welfare of these migrant children, I care about the welfare of my own children … my community,' help us understand what this kind of damage does to these young people," Ruhle said to Sinopoli.

"Because they are going to be a member of society, and it makes me think, where do you think MS-13 was born? In Los Angeles, where you often see these angry gangs sprout up," Ruhle continued. "And I worry that you're creating Terminator-like characters that will seek vengeance! We must care."

The Trump administration's zero-tolerance policy toward illegal border crossings has led many children to be separated from their parents, who are prosecuted for entering the U.S. illegally. This has triggered a fiery debate in the country about family separations at the border. This week, however, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to keep families together that are detained. Congress, meanwhile, is working on legislation to end family separation as part of a larger immigration package.