President Obama on Monday lashed out at the “anti-immigrant sentiment” that he says has taken hold in Republican politics, and said the country needs to embrace the desire of non-citizens to become Americans.

“This whole anti-immigrant sentiment that’s out there in our politics right now is contrary to who we are,” Obama said while speaking at a town hall forum on education at North High School in Des Moines, Iowa. “Because unless you are a Native American, your family came from some place else.”