Washington (CNN) Democratic presidential candidate Julián Castro suggested Thursday that President Donald Trump intends to create "a nation in his own image" through his administration's recently announced regulation that makes it harder for immigrants to obtain green cards if they've received or are likely to receive government benefits.

"I think this policy is just terribly misguided. And that the real agenda behind it is that Donald Trump just wants a nation in his own image. He wants to keep certain people out. Only let certain people in. And this is not the spirit that we should move forward with," Castro, the former secretary of Housing and Urban Development, told CNN's Alisyn Camerota on "New Day."

The comments come several days after acting US Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Ken Cuccinelli announced the new "public charge" rule, which has angered Democrats and progressives who argue it will discourage legal immigrants from receiving benefits they're eligible for. The new rule, which is already being challenged in court, is the latest move by the administration in its ongoing effort to implement more conservative US immigration policy.

"Two generations later, one of her grandsons, my brother (Rep. Joaquin Castro) is a member of the United States Congress, and the other one, me, served in the president's cabinet and is running for president of the great country that she came to."

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