Sen. Harris Tours Immigrant Detention Center And Leaves 'Deeply Disturbed'
OTAY MESA (CBSLA) -- California Sen. Kamala Harris toured an immigrant-detention center Friday and came out saying she was "deeply disturbed" by what she witnessed.
CBS2's Michele Gile was along for the tour.
"It looked like any prison or jail that I have visited over many, many years that I was a prosecutor," Harris said.
Harris came out of the detention center near San Diego after talking to detained mothers and told a group of protesters that her heart was broken.
She also said the Trump administration has brought "shame" to America. She said President Donald Trump was also committing human-rights violations by separating children from their parents.
"What are we going to do about it?" Harris said to protesters, "And I say we stand up, and speak up, we shout, we march to make sure these families and these children and these babies have a voice and this administration be forced to face their hypocrisy."
Gile also spoke to protesters eager to add their voice to the condemnation of the Trump administration and their "zero tolerance" policy.
"I got on a bus super early this morning," said protester Jennifer Rivers, "I slept like three hours and I'm tired. But it was worth me being here. I absolutely had to be here."
"I took the Hippocratic oath," said Dr. Michael Langley-DeGroot, "which is basically to do no harm. So when I see harm being done, I feel like it's my duty to speak out for the patients, potential patients that are being harmed."
Harris said she talked to three mothers who said they were supposed to have free calls to their children but they have been charged $.85 a minute.
"For the mothers, they are in complete and utter despair," Harris said.
The senator told Gile that the mothers told her in most cases they had no idea where their children are or when they will see them again.