The amateur activist, Alyssa Milano tried to enter an immigrant detention center in Florida, but she was not allowed to go inside and immediately turned away.
“I’m Alyssa Milano. I’m an actress/activist and I would love to be let in based on a community visit.”
In a series of videos live-streamed on Twitter, Milano demanded to be let into the privately-run border facility.
“I just asked to be let into the Homestead detention center based on a community visit,” Milano says in one video as if being an actress somehow lets you walk into privately owned buildings.
In the video, Milano asks security guards why she can’t go in and they clearly said you need permission from management.
After repeatedly being turned away, Milano shot another video and said, “Of course in those two weeks they have the time to clean up the place. I thought it was important that they just let me in,” she said.
Milano said, “We gotta shut down these detention centers.point 162 | There are thousands of children at Homestead.point 201 |
They had pencils and pens taken away from them because they were cutting themselves.point 71 | They are not allowed to have any physical contact with each other to comfort each other even if they’re siblings.point 171 | The 17-year-old, once they turn 18, they’re put into solitary confinement and then shackled and brought to an adult detention center.point 290 |
”point 3 | 1
She continued, “There are laws in place that they don’t seem to be following … They wouldn’t let me in, again, so the only glimpse I got of the children was over the fence … Please educate and empower yourselves.point 186 | Use your voices, we can all make a difference.point 224 |
If you have any of these detention centers in your community, please show up.point 64 | Ask to be let inside.point 81 | Make sure they know that people are watching and that we’re going to continue to watch and as always, thank you for your support and your love.point 204 |
I feel honored to be able to use my platform in this capacity.point 50 | That’s all.point 66 | Let’s all use our voices to try to get these centers shut down.point 123 | ’point 130 | 1
Newsweek reported on Milano’s visit and said that she doesn’t know the whole story: “Homestead is the biggest shelter for migrant children in the country, according to NPR and houses kids ranging in ages from 13 to 17. It was opened during former President Barack Obama’s administration, closed and then reopened in March 2018.”
The incoming head of Customs & Border Patrol, Max Morgan, told CBS, “Are there issues that we can improve and get better? Absolutely. That’s why I welcome the [inspector general]. I welcome non-governmental organizations to come in and do a check and balance. We should always try to get better but to say that it’s a systemic, egregious problem across the board, that’s just not true and the facts don’t support that.”