Democratic hopefuls for president are seizing on the separation of children from their guardians at the border to blast the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” policy as inhumane.

The controversy, which has received wall-to-wall coverage on cable news, has given the Democrats a chance to compete in criticizing the Trump administration while trying out appeals to Hispanic voters.

Sen. Kamala Harris Kamala HarrisHarris faces pivotal moment with Supreme Court battle Nearly 40 Democratic senators call for climate change questions in debates Joe Biden has long forgotten North Carolina: Today's visit is too late MORE (D-Calif.) generated a string of headlines when she became the first lawmaker to call for the resignation of Kirstjen Nielsen Kirstjen Michele NielsenMore than million in DHS contracts awarded to firm of acting secretary's wife: report DHS IG won't investigate after watchdog said Wolf, Cuccinelli appointments violated law Appeals court sides with Trump over drawdown of immigrant protections MORE, Trump’s embattled Homeland Security secretary.

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Harris, 53, called Trump’s policy a “human rights abuse.”



Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand Kirsten GillibrandSunday shows preview: Justice Ginsburg dies, sparking partisan battle over vacancy before election Suburban moms are going to decide the 2020 election Jon Stewart urges Congress to help veterans exposed to burn pits MORE (D-N.Y.), 51, on Tuesday called the zero tolerance policy “an evil, dark thing” during a Politico podcast, while Sen. Elizabeth Warren Elizabeth WarrenDimon: Wealth tax 'almost impossible to do' CNN's Don Lemon: 'Blow up the entire system' remark taken out of context Democrats shoot down talk of expanding Supreme Court MORE (D-Mass.) railed against President Trump Donald John TrumpBiden on Trump's refusal to commit to peaceful transfer of power: 'What country are we in?' Romney: 'Unthinkable and unacceptable' to not commit to peaceful transition of power Two Louisville police officers shot amid Breonna Taylor grand jury protests MORE’s refusal to change course.

“@realdonaldtrump could pick up the phone and stop the separation of families seeking refuge in the US,” Warren, 68, wrote Monday on Twitter. “Instead, he continues to hold thousands of kids hostage to try and get Congress to pay for his stupid wall. This is his policy, and he can stop it.”

Sen. Bernie Sanders Bernie SandersOutrage erupts over Breonna Taylor grand jury ruling Dimon: Wealth tax 'almost impossible to do' Grand jury charges no officers in Breonna Taylor death MORE (I-Vt.) sent an email to his campaign list of supporters to blast the policy, the third time in recent days that he has spoken about the issue.

Earlier this week, Sanders delivered a speech on the floor urging Congress to take action.

“The United States of America is not and must never be about locking up little children in cages on the southern border,” Sanders, 76, said. “And right now we have the opportunity and must take advantage of that opportunity to pass legislation to end that horrific practice.”

Sen. Cory Booker Cory Anthony BookerBipartisan praise pours in after Ginsburg's death DHS opens probe into allegations at Georgia ICE facility Democratic lawmakers call for an investigation into allegations of medical neglect at Georgia ICE facility MORE (D-N.J.) called it a “shameful chapter in American history” and said the policy is “morally scarring this country.”

“This is a low point for me as an American,” Booker, 49, said. “This is really one of the lowest points for me that is heartbreaking for me as an American to see my country engage in behavior that is so despicable, so morally reprehensible. … All of us should be hurting right now.”

A CNN poll out this week shows that two-thirds of Americans disapprove of the policy of taking migrant children and placing them in government facilities. At the same time, nearly 60 percent of Republicans support the policy.

Trump has repeatedly sought to blame Democrats for the policy, making an argument that a law requires parents to be separated from children. In reality, as Republican and Democratic lawmakers have noted, there is no such law and the past two administrations, led by former Presidents George W. Bush and Obama, chose not to separate families.

“Democrats are the problem,” Trump wrote Tuesday on Twitter. “They don’t care about crime and want illegal immigrants, no matter how bad they may be, to pour into and infest our country, like MS-13. They can’t win on their terrible policies, so they view them as potential voters.”

“We must always arrest people coming into our country illegally,” he wrote in another tweet. “Of the 12,000 children, 10,000 are being sent by their parents on a very dangerous trip, and only 2000 are with their parents, many of whom have tried to enter our country illegally on numerous occasions.”

In a third tweet, Trump called on Congress to “change the ridiculous and obsolete laws on immigration.”

“Get it done, always keeping in mind that we must have strong border security,” he said.