Florida

Florida Lawmakers Still Want Answers About Migrant Children Detention Center

Florida lawmakers are still seeking access to and answers about a detention center for migrant children in Homestead after the state's senior senator and others were turned away from the facility.

The Homestead Temporary Shelter for Unaccompanied Children houses foster kids, minors who crossed the border themselves and some children who were separated from their parents at the border in recent weeks.

According to Sen. Bill Nelson's office, 174 children are being housed across the state, including 94 at the Homestead facility. Nelson and Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz were among a group of Democratic lawmakers who were turned away from the facility Tuesday.

At a protest outside the facility Wednesday, Florida representatives Sean Shaw and Jared Moskowitz condemned the border separation policy, hours before President Trump signed an executive order ending it.

Although the policy was changed, it was in place for six weeks, and the lawmakers say the damage has already been done.

"How are we going to find toddlers and babies that can't tell us maybe who their parents are, how are we going to begin that reunification process? This is such a blunder on this administration," Moskowitz said.

Republican Congressman Carlos Curbelo, whose district includes the facility, released a statement Wednesday calling the barring of Nelson "troubling" and "a mistake."

Curbelo says he's seeking an appointment to visit the facility. He says any member of Congress should be granted access to such federally funded facilities.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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