HOMESTEAD, FLA. (WSVN) - U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren visited a detention center in Homestead before hitting the stage for the first night of the primary debates.
Protesters and multiple press outlets joined Warren on Wednesday morning in her efforts to bring attention to the facility among others nationwide.
The Democratic presidential candidate announced she would visit the center at a town hall meeting held on Tuesday night at FIU’s Ocean Bank Convocation Center in West Miami-Dade.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services compound currently houses migrant children separated from their parents at the border.
“This is just one more example of what is so badly broken in Washington,” said Warren, “a place that’s just working great for the rich and the powerful, working great for those who invest in private prisons, but it’s not working for the people whose lives are destroyed.”
Warren said she requested to tour the facility but was denied. She instead stood atop a small ladder to look over the gate and waved at children on the other side.
Approximately 2,300 children are living in the center temporarily until they are placed with sponsors.
Increased scrutiny towards detention centers has followed the release of recent reports exposing poor conditions in similar facilities.
Warren is adding her disapproval of the conditions to the growing protests.
“I’m glad to have a chance to talk about what I’ve seen here today, to talk about the proposal already put out to shut down places like Homestead,” said Warren. “Locking people up for money is not what the United States of America should do.”
Actress and activist Alyssa Milano joined Warren in speaking out about the center.
“It’s overwhelming to look at it. I’m moved to tears that this is happening in our country,” said Milano. “These kids have no voice, so for these amazing activists and advocates who come out every day and lend their support and give them a voice … I’m not only here for the children, but I’m here to support these amazing people that are doing this every single day.”
Sen. Amy Klobuchar also visited the facility on Wednesday while other candidates including Tulsi Gabbard, Beto O’Rourke and Bill de Blasio will be stopping by the center on Thursday.
“This president has put us in this situation with an inhumane policy, starting with the separation of parents and kids at the border,” said Klobuchar.
Candidates Kamala Harris and Pete Buttigieg also plan on visiting the center sometime this week.
According to HHS, the children at the facility stay an average of 44 days and are all mostly from Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras.
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