The Justice Department has lodged a legal case against Southwest Key, the leading housing provider for unaccompanied migrant children.
The lawsuit claims that there has been extensive and severe sexual abuse and harassment of children under its care.
Justice Department sues #SouthwestKey for sexual abuse and harassment of children in shelters#civilrights https://t.co/SaCbeycVqr pic.twitter.com/07MDBrVszv
— US Attorney SDTX (@USAO_SDTX) July 18, 2024
The lawsuit alleges that Southwest Key staff, including supervisors, have engaged in acts such as rape, inappropriate touching, and solicitation of sexual activity and nude images from children dating back to 2015.
As of 2020, at least two employees have faced charges related to these allegations.
This is the Southwest Key Programs facility in Tuscon Arizona! @JJCarrell14@RealAmVoice@stinchfield1776 pic.twitter.com/frcPTZzRY0
— RyanMatta 🇺🇸 🦅 (@RyanMattaMedia) July 6, 2024
Southwest Key, headquartered in Austin, operates 29 shelters for migrant children in Texas, Arizona, and California, catering to kids between the ages of 5 and 17.
A lawsuit has been filed alleging that a 5-year-old at an El Paso shelter was subjected to repeated abuse and that an 11-year-old at a Tucson shelter was exploited in 2020.
The lawsuit states that the children were threatened with violence if they reported the abuse and that some staff members either knew about the abuse but failed to report it or actively concealed it.
Xavier Becerra, the Health and Human Services Secretary, expressed concern over the complaint, stating that it suggests a serious pattern of behavior by Southwest Key.
He also reiterated the department’s zero-tolerance policy towards sexual abuse, harassment, inappropriate sexual behavior, and discrimination.
This legal action follows shortly after a federal judge granted the Justice Department’s request to lift special court oversight of Health and Human Services care for unaccompanied migrant children.
This decision was supported by President Joe Biden’s administration, which argued that new safeguards had made special oversight unnecessary after 27 years.
This is a Southwest key programs facility in Brownsville Texas. This FEMA-style camp holds female girls between 0-12 years old. For a vast majority of these children, this will B the last location they R seen alive. 438,573 missing migrant children?@informantcarlos@JJCarrell14 pic.twitter.com/h2aReeYfMO
— RyanMatta 🇺🇸 🦅 (@RyanMattaMedia) July 16, 2024
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1 Comment
I have noticed an increase in sexual attacks the last decades.Children in America and women are at risk from these sick ,mentally dysfunction individuals