Elizabeth Warren: Migrant Kids Treated ‘Like Little Prisoners’ At Detention Center

“Our government is following a policy of inflicting maximum pain.”

After visiting a children’s detention camp, Sen. Elizabeth Warren called the situation at the border a “moral stain on the United States of America, inflicted by Donald Trump.”

Democrats face off in a prime-time fight Wednesday night in the first debate of the 2020 presidential campaign, the unofficial starting line for the party’s quest to wrest the White House from Donald Trump and deny him a second term.

While the crowded field has been courting voters in key states for several months already, the vast majority of the nation has yet to pay close attention to the ambitious and diverse field. That begins to change when a collection of 10 candidates, led by fiery liberal Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, face each other on national television for two hours.

The overall field is so large that a second group of 10 Democrats, led by early front-runner Joe Biden, will debate 24 hours later. The groupings were chosen at random by debate host NBC.

The meeting comes at a turbulent time for the nation at home and abroad, the economy strong but strained by the weight of the president’s trade wars and the threat of military conflict with Iran. At the same time, an emotional fight over immigration continues to sew divisions that have defined Trump’s America for much of the past four years.

Trump himself will be in the air traveling to Japan for a round of trade talks as Democrats face the nation for the first time in the 2020 campaign.

The Democrats face their own rifts, unified in their deep desire to beat Trump but deeply divided on what kind of candidate is best positioned to do so.

On one side: candidates like Warren who are demanding dramatic change that includes embracing liberal policy priorities like free universal health care, debt-free college, a forgiving immigration policy and higher taxes on the rich. On the other: pragmatic-minded Democrats like Thursday’s star — Biden — and little-known former Maryland Rep. John Delaney, who are calling for modest policy solutions that could ultimately attract bipartisan support.

Beyond Warren and Delaney, Wednesday’s slate features Sens. Cory Booker of New Jersey and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, Reps. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii and Tim Ryan of Ohio and former Rep. Beto O’Rourke of Texas, along with Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio and ex-Obama Housing Secretary Julián Castro.

For many of the White House hopefuls, Wednesday marks their best opportunity to share their vision with the country and, if for just two hours, chip into a political news cycle often dominated by Trump.

It’s unclear how aggressively the candidates will attack each other — instead of Trump — as they jockey for position.

While early, time is already beginning to run out for lesser-known candidates who may not qualify for subsequent debates. They need a standout moment to spark a bump in fundraising and polling.

As one of the best-known candidates on stage Wednesday, Warren has an opportunity to further cement her status as a top-tier candidate. Perhaps more than anyone else, she also has a target on her back.

Asked about pressure, she shrugged off her center-stage position.

“This is just a chance to be able to talk to people all across this country about how this government works better and better and better for a thinner and thinner slice at the top, and it’s just not working for the rest of America,” she said after a Tuesday rally in Miami.

“2020′s our chance to change that.”″

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