Tommy Tuberville

U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., is not backing down from comments he made Tuesday, when he condemned “mass migration” and continued his attacks on Islam.

Speaking next to an “assimilate or go home” sign, Tuberville said that migrants are today coming from “third world hellholes” unlike the migrants of the past who came to the country and assimilated.

“The question must be asked: why are we letting these people, who don’t share our values and refuse to assimilate, why are we letting them in our country,” Tuberville said. “The word assimilate is often treated with suspicion because it is often related to racism. But assimilation has absolutely nothing to do with race. It’s about values. Assimilation doesn’t mean you abandon your heritage or your faith or forget where you’re from. It’s about embracing a new shared belief system.”

But in one portion of his speech, Tuberville says that while there are good Muslims who assimilate to American culture there are certain individuals who want to turn the U.S. into a “Muslim” country by imposing their “radical beliefs”.

Tuberville has been one of the most ardent Republicans routinely making remarks against “radical Islam,” which critics often criticize as Islamophobic. In March, he made a post condemned widely as Islamophobic saying “the enemy is inside the gates” regarding a photo of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani imposed next to images of the Sept. 11 attacks.

“Islamists aren’t coming here and looking for a better life,” Tuberville said. “They’re coming here to impose their radical beliefs on us and to mooch off the American taxpayers. Game. Set. Match. That’s exactly why they’re here. They’re coming to impose everything they possibly can on the United States of America, get by with it and tear us down at the same time. They have no interest in adapting to American national identity. They wanna change the national identity to mirror their death cult Islamic beliefs. You heard that. They’re here to kill us all.”

Journalist Aaron Rupar wrote “not subtle” in reference to Tuberville’s comments, but the senator responded saying, “That’s the point. Be American, embrace our laws and our values, or get the hell out.”

Tuberville also said he intends to introduce the Assimilation Act on Wednesday which would overhaul the immigration system and end certain programs such as the diversity visa lottery while tightening certain merit-based criteria.