George Takei recently explained how horrifying the concept of family separation is.

In an interview with GQ magazine , the actor, who was a child when he was put in a concentration camp with other Japanese Americans during World War II, noted that he was always with his family while incarcerated. However, many Japanese American families were split apart .

Takei said that he cant imagine what its like for those children who are forced to endure family separation at the southern U.S. border today.

These infants are being torn away, he told the outlet. Theyre crying all the time and theyre dirty and sick and theyre dying .

Takei also referenced a recent incident that underscored the severity of family separation. The actor mentioned a New York Times article about Constantin Mutu, who was separated from his family at the border when he was 4 months old. He spent five months in a foster home and was sent to live in Michigan while his father was put in a detention facility and then ultimately deported to Romania.

Theyre not only carrying them away, but not keeping them where they were torn away from their parents and randomly scattering them to the far reaches of the United States: Minneapolis, Wisconsin, New Jersey, Takei said. I mean, that is thought-out, systematic evil, and cruelty thats been inflicted on these children who are going to be impacted for life by this kind of brutal treatment.