2020 Democrats visit Florida migrant children’s shelter following debate

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 (Calif.), Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (N.Y.), South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg, former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper and former San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro visited the facility Friday morning, entering and exiting the processing building of the facility together.{mosads}

Author and 2020 candidate Marianne Williamson arrived later, and Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and New York Mayor Bill de Blasio (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:
“They denied us access,” Buttigieg says.
What were you hoping to learn? Harris: “more than what we got in there.” pic.twitter.com/IwTiceCht1

— Edward-Isaac Dovere (@IsaacDovere) June 28, 2019

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”

In Spanish he shouted out at them “we are here for you, you are not alone.” pic.twitter.com/79O5ClueEw

— Jasmine Wright (@JasJWright) June 28, 2019

Ten 2020 Democrats took the debate stage Wednesday night, while an 10 additional candidates faced off Thursday night.