The photos, O'Malley said in a statement, "should spur all of us to ask what we personally can do to alleviate the suffering of others. With more than four million Syrian refugees fleeing war and famine, they now comprise the second-largest refugee population in the world."
O'Malley, who lags Hillary Rodham Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) in the race for the Democratic nomination, said he supports the calls from humanitarian and refugee organizations for the United States to accept at least 65,000 Syrian refugees by the end of next year.
Friday was not the first time O'Malley has called on his country to adopt a more "compassionate" policy for refugees seeking to come into the United States.
Last year, O'Malley was critical of the Obama administration's efforts to turn back a wave of unaccompanied migrant children from Central America. O'Malley often cites the episode on the campaign trail, saying "the enduring symbol" of the United States should be the Statue of Liberty.