A national guardsman has drawn scrutiny for comments made on Facebook, saying that immigrants crossing the US-Mexico border are "lucky we aren't executing them."

The comment was posted to an online fundraiser for the Texas-based Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services. The fundraiser calls to "Reunite an immigrant parent with their child," and has raised more than $20 million in donations since it began June 16th, aiming for a goal of $25 million.

The comments section of the page has become a forum where critics of President Trump's immigration policy gather. "Proud to have donated in choosing love over hate xo" says one. Others share news articles or resources to connect volunteers. "I speak Spanish and live in McAllen TX please put me to work. How can I help?" wrote another.

But with the outpouring of support for immigrants came its detractors.

"Waste of money," said one post by a man named Gerod Martin last Wednesday (the comment has since been deleted). According to The Oregonian, the Salem, Oregon man wrote, "They're lucky we aren't executing them."

Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border Show all 14 1 /14 Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border Immigrant children, many of whom are separated form their parents, are housed in Texas' tent city Reuters Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border A two-year-old Honduran asylum seeker cries as her mother is searched and detained near the US-Mexico border Getty Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border Undocumented migrants ride on the top of a freight train referred to as the beast, or La Bestia Getty Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border A cage inside a US Customs and Border Protection detention facility in Texas Reuters Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border US Border Patrol Academy All new agents must complete a months-long training course at the New Mexico facility before assuming their posts at Border Patrol stations, mostly along the US-Mexico border Getty Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border US-Mexico border fence A group of young men walk along the Mexican side of the US-Mexico border fence in a remote area of the Sonoran Desert Getty Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border US-Mexico border fence in the US Man looks through US-Mexico border fence into the US in Tijuana, Mexico Getty Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border US-Mexico border fence US Border Patrol agent Sal De Leon stands near a section of the US-Mexico border fence while stopping on patrol on in La Joya, Texas Getty Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border US Border Patrol Academy US Border Patrol instructor yells at trainees after their initial arrival to the academy Getty Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border Memorial service in Guatemala Families attend a memorial service for two boys who were kidnapped and killed in San Juan Sacatepequez, Guatemala. Crime drives emigration from Guatemala to the United States, as families seek refuge from the danger Getty Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border Arrests on the border Undocumented immigrants comfort each other after being caught by Border Patrol agents near the US-Mexico border Getty Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border Detention holding facility A boy from Honduras watches a movie at a detention facility run by the US Border Patrol Getty Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border Mexican farm workers Mexican migrant workers harvest organic parsley at Grant Family Farms in Wellington, Colorado Getty Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border Mexican family in Arizona A Mexican immigrant family sits in the living room of their rented home in Tuscon, Arizona. The family that Arizona's new tough immigrant law had created a climate of fear in the immigrant community. Getty

The comments drew attention as Mr Martin's page featured pictures of him in military uniform. "Just a young buck serving his country," he wrote on his Facebook page. Mr Martin's social media pages have since been made private and appear to have been scrubbed.

The Oregon National Guard confirmed that Mr Martin has been a private first class with the guard since 2013, will "face punishment" for his comments about executing migrants, according to local news station KATU.

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"You can't endorse any sort of political action while in uniform," said Major Stephen Bomar of the Oregon National Guard. "You always have to think before you post. Sometimes you can get caught up in the moment, but it's not an excuse."

"Even if he is not showing military uniform, that is just a horrific comment" Major Bomar told KATU.