At least 11 Democratic presidential candidates visited a child migrant detention facility in Homestead, Fla., this week either before or after taking the debate stage in Miami.
2020 Democrats Sen. Kamala Harris
Kamala Devi HarrisHouse to vote on legislation to make lynching a federal hate crime Overnight Energy: EPA to regulate 'forever chemicals' in drinking water | Trump budget calls for slashing funds for climate science centers | House Dems urge banks not to fund drilling in Arctic refuge Democratic senators criticize plan that could expand Arctic oil and gas development MORE (Calif.), Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand
Kirsten GillibrandNow is the time for a US data protection agency The Hill's Campaign Report: Warren up, Bloomberg down after brutal debate Ginsburg, accepting lifetime achievement award, urges working fathers to take an active role in kids' lives MORE (N.Y.), South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg
Peter (Pete) Paul ButtigiegThe Democratic nominee won't be democratically chosen At Democratic debate, missed opportunities on immigration Surging Sanders looks for decisive win in Nevada MORE, former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper
John HickenlooperThe Hill's Campaign Report: What to watch for in Nevada Trump seeks to boost vulnerable GOP senator with Colorado rally Nonpartisan election forecaster moves Colorado Senate race to 'leans Democratic' MORE and former San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro visited the facility Friday morning, entering and exiting the processing building of the facility together.
Author and 2020 candidate Marianne Williamson
Marianne WilliamsonDemocrats: The road to kumbaya The Hill's 12:30 Report: Trump, Pelosi take the gloves off; DNC wants Iowa recanvass Iowa and New Hampshire haters should think twice MORE arrived later, and Sens. Bernie Sanders
Bernie SandersRussian interference reports rock Capitol Hill The Democratic nominee won't be democratically chosen Fox's Ingraham mocks DNC over Nevada voting malfunctions: 'Are we a Third World country?' MORE (I-Vt.), Elizabeth Warren
Elizabeth Ann WarrenThe Democratic nominee won't be democratically chosen Surging Sanders looks for decisive win in Nevada Bloomberg to do interview with Al Sharpton MORE (D-Mass.) and Amy Klobuchar
Amy Jean KlobucharThe Democratic nominee won't be democratically chosen At Democratic debate, missed opportunities on immigration Surging Sanders looks for decisive win in Nevada MORE (D-Minn.) and New York Mayor Bill de Blasio
Bill de BlasioNew York attorney general threatens to sue NYC over alleged taxi fraud Bloomberg compared civil libertarians, teachers union to NRA 'extremists' in 2013: report De Blasio endorses Sanders for president MORE (D) and former Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D) visited the center earlier this week.
While candidates were allowed inside the processing building on Friday, they were “denied” access to tour the facilities, Buttigieg said.
Exiting together:
— Edward-Isaac Dovere (@IsaacDovere) June 28, 2019
“They denied us access,” Buttigieg says.
What were you hoping to learn? Harris: “more than what we got in there.” pic.twitter.com/IwTiceCht1
Several candidates instead took turns speaking to a crowd outside the facility, with Harris slamming the Trump administration as one “that prefers to beat people down instead of lift them up,” adding, “That’s why we need a new president of the United States.”
“Part of the strength of our nation is supposed to be that we have strong arms,” Harris said in a video posted on Twitter. “We are seeing a breakdown not only of our moral values but of our democracy.”
The Trump administration has continued to come under fire for its immigration policies, and recent reports have drawn attention to poor facilities at migrant detention centers. Congress this week passed a $4.6 billion spending package aimed at addressing issues at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Video taken Friday shows Gillibrand and Harris standing shoulder to shoulder as they meet with women and children whose family members have reportedly been deported.
I am so proud to be a Democrat. @KamalaHarris, @SenGillibrand and @PeteButtigieg are arm-in-arm, the morning after a debate, to shine a light on the injustices happening at the Homestead private detention center. What’s happening here is wrong. pic.twitter.com/0rRnnRNEG2
— Ian Sams (@IanSams) June 28, 2019
Several candidates, including Harris, Gillibrand, Hickenlooper and Castro, also made a point to walk to the ladders to try and see the children inside the facility, which holds about 2,300 people.
.@PeteButtigieg was the only candidate today that didn't go stand on the ladders to see the kids in the detention center. CNN video saw him jump into his car after a TV interview as protestors shouted at him "see the kids!" You can hear an aide saying "we will", but he never did. pic.twitter.com/ZevFBQ6Jo4
— Jasmine Wright (@JasJWright) June 28, 2019
Castro told reporters that while standing by the ladders, he saw kids marching in lines, wearing orange hats “the color of prison uniforms.”
He shouted to them in Spanish, “We are here for you, you are not alone.”
.@JulianCastro went over to the ladders and described what he saw to reporters: children marching in lines, wearing orange hats “the color of prison uniforms”
— Jasmine Wright (@JasJWright) June 28, 2019
In Spanish he shouted out at them “we are here for you, you are not alone.” pic.twitter.com/79O5ClueEw
Ten 2020 Democrats took the debate stage Wednesday night, while an 10 additional candidates faced off Thursday night.
