Neil deGrasse Tyson’s latest foray into the nation’s immigration debate ended with a social-media roasting this weekend when he compared a migrant caravan from Central America to Nobel physicist Albert Einstein.

The astrophysicist and “StarTalk Radio” host was mocked on Twitter Sunday when he rhetorically paired the man behind the famous equation E = mc2 to rock-throwing migrants trying to force their way through a U.S. port of entry in San Ysidro, California.

“Albert Einstein was a refugee to the USA,” he tweeted.

His commentary came in conjunction with a new cycle in which hundreds of asylum seekers climbed over fences along the U.S. southern border until they were repelled with tear gas.

Footage from the border chaos showed some of them throwing rocks.

Mr. Tyson’s Twitter feed was soon filled with chastisements over his decision to equate Mr. Einstein’s orderly and legal entrance into the U.S. with men throwing projectiles at border agents.

“He was a legal immigrant who fully embraced the ideals and mores of his adoptive country,” one user wrote, the social-media aggregator website Twitchy reported. “I don’t think he stormed a fence and threw rocks.”

“To be a bit pedantic, Albert Einstein renounced his German citizenship in March of 1933, was on an assassination list, accepted a job with the Princeton Advanced Study program in October, told Roosevelt Germans were developing the bomb … and became a US citizen in 1940,” added another.

A third person used a Morgan Freeman meme to admire Mr. DeGrasse Tyson’s “total commitment” to “a special kind of stupid.”

President Trump issued a statement on Monday saying he was willing to “close the border permanently” if Mexican authorities did not assert and maintain control of the situation.

“Mexico should move the flag waving Migrants, many of whom are stone cold criminals, back to their countries,” Mr. Trump tweeted. “Do it by plane, do it by bus, do it anyway you want, but they are NOT coming into the U.S.A. We will close the Border permanently if need be. Congress, fund the WALL!”

Albert Einstein was a refugee to the USA. — Neil deGrasse Tyson (@neiltyson) November 26, 2018

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