Minneapolis residents protest Trump Administration migrant holding facility conditions

Dozens of protesters hit the streets of Minneapolis to try and bring attention to the conditions in holding facilities for young undocumented immigrants and the Trump Administration’s immigration policies Wednesday.

The protest gained steam 1,100 miles from Capitol Hill along the Marshall Bridge in Minneapolis. Dozens gathered there demanded a change to a worsening human rights crisis at the southern border.

“He isn’t making it better,” said Jan Scofield, a protester. “He never has. He never will. United States created a lot of problems in Central America and the people are just fleeing from it and unless he makes it better down there, the people are just going to continue.”

House Democrats Wednesday held a hearing called “Kids in Cages” amidst allegations the administration is neglecting undocumented immigrants at DHS holding facilities.

“The human rights violations and family catastrophes happening at the border are not improving a serious regional refugee crisis, but they are worsening and exacerbating it,” said Jamie Raskin, a Maryland Congressman.

The White House denies migrants are mistreated at the facilities and says congress needs to act on immigration reform to end the crisis, which is unlikely to happen soon with little consensus between lawmakers on the hill.

“The level of just absolute irresponsibility now that we are seeing in the Democratic side among someone who clearly is one of the intellectual leaders now of the Democratic  Party is really stunning,” Liz Cheney, a Wyoming Congresswoman.

In Minneapolis, the protest along the heavily-traveled bridge was hard to ignore.

“He needs to decriminalize coming across for people seeking asylum,” said Dan Lesen, another protester.

As those who cross the border illegally are returned to Mexico to wait for an asylum hearing, which advocates call a violation of human rights, Vice President Mike Pence will head to the border Friday to get a firsthand look at the facilities.