Iowa State Sen. Mark Chelgren is under fire from both Democrats and Republicans for suggesting that immigrants should be executed if they commit a felony and then re-enter the U.S. illegally.

The southeast Iowa Republican made the sensational statement during an interview with the Journal-Express of Knoxville and Marion County that was published in an article on Monday. According to him, the U.S. should build a fence on the U.S.-Mexico border in order to control who enters and leaves. However, if an undocumented immigrant commits a felony and then gets deported, then that immigrant should be sentenced to capital punishment if they are caught breaking immigration law for a second time, he said.

"There is no reason to have felons here who threaten our way of life," Chelgren said.

In response, Andy McGuire, the chairwoman of the Iowa Democratic Party, blasted Chelgren's remarks on Tuesday, calling them "vile, hateful and downright deplorable."

"We have heard Steve King and many Republicans running for president demean and insult immigrants and advocate for callous policies that would tear immigrant families apart. Mark Chelgren's call for executing undocumented immigrants represents a dangerous new low for the Republican Party," McGuire said, according to The Des Moines Register. "America is a country of immigrants, unified by the hope and opportunity to give our families and our children a better life. Our diversity makes our country stronger. Iowa Democrats will continue to fight back against heinous and hateful rhetoric from Mark Chelgren, Steve King, and the Republican Party."

Meanwhile, a spokesman for the Republican Party of Iowa also issued a statement to put some distance between their party and Chelgren's controversial comments.

"These remarks do not represent the values and beliefs of Iowa Republicans. Period," said Charlie Szold, a spokesman for the Republican Party of Iowa, in a statement released on Tuesday.

Despite the backlash, Chelgren, who is running for Iowa's 2nd District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, doubled down on his remarks. In an interview with The Associated Press, the Ottumwa businessman said he supports capital punishment for immigrants with felony convictions who repeatedly enter the U.S. with the intent of committing terrorism or other felony crimes. He added that Democratic Party officials were overreacting to his remarks and engaging in "race-baiting."

"I am looking at people who are deported and who re-enter the country illegally. Obviously, I don't want to tear apart families. We need to be sure we are protecting the people of the United States," Chelgren told The AP.

"I think capital punishment should be considered for people who are felons and re-enter this country illegally, yes. We have to make sure we are not incentivizing people whose only intent is to victimize," he said.

He added, "I want to make sure that we don't have criminals coming into the United States and victimizing our citizens."