Former Celtics player and NBA Hall of Fame member Bill Russell attacked President Donald Trump over immigration policy on Twitter. Saying it is “beyond words” that children of illegal aliens have been separated from their parents during the legal process of assessing their status.

Russell, an 11-time NBA champion, went on the attack in response to a tweet by Florida Democrat Congresswoman Lois Frankel who claimed to have visited an ICE detention center in Texas.

On his Twitter account, Russell exclaimed, “It is beyond words to think this is happening in America. Sorry, @realDonaldTrump this is far from America being great! Please everyone stay focused on reuniting these families, don’t get distracted with stories like @PressSec @MSNBC @ABC @CBSNews @Yahoo @BBCBreaking #Disgusting.”

It is beyond words to think this is happening in America. Sorry, @realDonaldTrump this is far from America being great! Please everyone stay focused on reuniting these families, don’t get distracted with stories like @PressSec @MSNBC @ABC @CBSNews @Yahoo @BBCBreaking #Disgusting https://t.co/8Bk3pGrmtP — TheBillRussell (@RealBillRussell) June 24, 2018

It also appears that Russell was saying that the story of Trump Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders being kicked out of a Virginia restaurant is a “distraction” that he wants to be ignored in favor of pushing the immigration policy story.

Like many, Russell was utterly silent on this issue when the exact same policy was being implemented during the Obama, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton administrations.

A longtime civil rights activist, Russell has often indulged support for left-wing causes. Most recently, in support of the Philadelphia Eagles’ anti-American protests, Russell posted a photo of himself taking a knee while wearing the Presidential Medal of Freedom given to him in 2011 by Barack Obama.

In the tweet accompanying the photo, Russell said that when Trump rescinded the team’s invitation to visit the White House, it was the “best thing that happened to the Eagles.”

Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston.