In a significant development, the U.S. Justice Department has accused Southwest Key Programs Inc., a major contractor responsible for housing unaccompanied migrant children, of allowing widespread sexual abuse and harassment within its facilities over an eight-year span. The federal lawsuit alleges that employees, including those in supervisory roles, engaged in acts of rape, solicitation of sex, and distribution of nude images involving minors under their care starting from 2015. The organization, which has received over $3 billion in government contracts from 2015 to 2023, operates 29 shelters across Texas, Arizona, and California with a combined capacity to house 6,350 children.
The lawsuit details disturbing instances of abuse at several Southwest Key locations. Notably, at the Casa Franklin shelter in El Paso, Texas, allegations surfaced of an employee who sexually abused three young girls aged between 5 and 11 years old. Furthermore, in Tucson, Arizona, it's alleged that another employee took an 11-year-old boy to a hotel where he was paid to perform sexual acts.
These revelations have prompted strong reactions from government officials and child welfare advocates. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra expressed grave concerns about the pattern of abuse highlighted by the lawsuit. Meanwhile, legal experts involved in oversight cases are calling for stringent measures to protect children currently housed in Southwest Key facilities.
Southwest Key has contested the accuracy of these claims but is facing intense scrutiny as details emerge about its failure to safeguard vulnerable children in its care. The case has shed light on broader systemic issues within the network of U.S.-based migrant child housing providers and raises questions about oversight and accountability amidst an ongoing immigration crisis.
The lawsuit details disturbing instances of abuse at several Southwest Key locations. Notably, at the Casa Franklin shelter in El Paso, Texas, allegations surfaced of an employee who sexually abused three young girls aged between 5 and 11 years old. Furthermore, in Tucson, Arizona, it's alleged that another employee took an 11-year-old boy to a hotel where he was paid to perform sexual acts.
These revelations have prompted strong reactions from government officials and child welfare advocates. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra expressed grave concerns about the pattern of abuse highlighted by the lawsuit. Meanwhile, legal experts involved in oversight cases are calling for stringent measures to protect children currently housed in Southwest Key facilities.
Southwest Key has contested the accuracy of these claims but is facing intense scrutiny as details emerge about its failure to safeguard vulnerable children in its care. The case has shed light on broader systemic issues within the network of U.S.-based migrant child housing providers and raises questions about oversight and accountability amidst an ongoing immigration crisis.
