Nelson demands answers on migrant kids held in South Florida

Last Tuesday, U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., was turned away from the federal facility housing immigrant children in Homestead, Fla.

Three days later, Health and Human Services granted access to Florida’s other senator, Republican Marco Rubio.

By Saturday, HHS had approved a tour for Nelson as well, a move he said in a press conference  Monday, was entirely political.

Read: 'They don't want us to know what's going on': Nelson on migrant children in FL facility

“Decisions in this administration are being made on the basis of pure partisan politics, that seems to be why they let Marco in, I do not impugn Marco, because he needs to be able to go in and see this whenever he can get in,” said Nelson. “Marco and I have a good relationship and do things together.”

Read: Sen. Nelson, other lawmakers denied entry to facility housing immigrant children in Florida

Nelson has been critical of the facility and the practice by the Trump administration of separating children from their parents at the border.

Read: Should Bill Nelson be worried? Two polls say 'Yes'

“This is a question of human values,” said Nelson. “The people we are talking about are from Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador, and they are fleeing a chaotic situation. The men are being told they will be killed if they don’t join a gang. The women are being threatened.”

More than 1,000 children are housed at the facility, 70 of those kids were separated from their families.

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