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Fox News contributor Rachel Campos-Duffy is coming under fire after defending the conditions in U.S. immigrant detention centres by claiming that “some African-Americans” told her the facilities are nicer than the housing projects they grew up in.

The conservative commentator and former reality TV star made the remarks during an appearance on Fox News talk show “The Ingraham Angle” on Thursday.

“I spoke to some African-Americans who say, ‘Gosh, the conditions of the detention centre are better than some of the projects that I grew up in,'” Campos-Duffy said, adding that child migrants were being brought to the U.S. border “under horrible, irresponsible circumstances.”

Rachel Campos-Duffy co-hosts an episode of ABC’s “The View,” March 6, 2014. Lou Rocco/ABC via Getty Images

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Her remarks drew ire from several African-Americans, including Democratic strategist Joel Payne, who slammed her commentary on “The Ingraham Angle” on Friday.

“I know you had a guest here yesterday who said that they talk to some African-Americans. Well, I also talk to some African-Americans and I can tell you none of us thought what she said had any basis in reality whatsoever,” Payne said, as host Laura Ingraham interjected and said, “I don’t know what your point is.”

READ MORE: U.S. Navy could house 25,000 immigrants at a cost of $233M over six months

Others took to social media to criticize Campos-Duffy.

1) Black people don't say 'gosh'

2) Black people don't talk to Rachel Campos-Duffy

3) If you take a kid away from its parents crying and screaming, it doesn't matter how nice the accommodations are. You're still a monster.

4) You can come & go from the projects. It's not jail. https://t.co/Dgsik1gg1N — Rafi (@RafiDAngelo) June 22, 2018

Fox News' Rachel Campos-Duffy: "I spoke to some African-Americans who say, 'Gosh, the conditions of the detention centers are better than some of the projects that I grew up in.'" Actual African-Americans: pic.twitter.com/AUgzqZQOEY — Ahmed Baba (@AhmedBaba_) June 22, 2018

Campos-Duffy, who is married to Republican Congressman Sean Duffy, defended her remarks Friday, telling the New York Times in a text message that her comment was based on a conversation with one African-American man.

“I mentioned it because I HAD just spoke to an African-American who complained to me about never seeing this level of media attention about Black kids being separated from their parents and that some of the facilities he saw looked nicer and safer than the projects he grew up in,” she wrote.

READ MORE: Advocates work to reunite migrant kids with parents amid U.S. separation crisis

The controversy comes amid continued backlash over the Trump administration’s use of detention centres to house children separated from their parents, many of whom are fleeing pervasive gang violence in Central America.

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On Wednesday, President Trump signed an executive order abandoning the separation policy, but the fate of over 2,300 children separated from their parents remains unclear.

WATCH: U.S. Senators say they’re fighting for migrant children separated from families

1:02 ‘The world is watching’: U.S. Senators say they’re fighting for migrant children separated from families ‘The world is watching’: U.S. Senators say they’re fighting for migrant children separated from families

Democratic lawmakers who toured a processing facility in Texas said they didn’t notice a clear system for reuniting those who were split up, describing children sleeping behind bars, on concrete floors and using emergency blankets.

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