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The newspaper La Jornada
Sunday, July 21, 2024, p. 27

McAllen — A lawsuit filed Wednesday by the Justice Department alleges that employees of Southwest Key Programs, the largest provider of housing for unaccompanied migrant children in the United States, sexually abused and harassed the minors in their care for at least eight years.

Over time, the nonprofit amassed billions of dollars through government contracts and continued to house thousands of children who entered without an adult family member.

Official financing

It remained unclear yesterday how many were in the Southwest Key shelters, and federal officials did not respond to questions about whether any action would be taken.

The central issue in this lawsuit is that there is a pattern and practicesaid Leecia Welch, deputy legal director for Children’s Rights.

Southwest Key, which operates with grants from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through the Office of Refugee Resettlement, has 29 shelters—17 in Texas, 10 in Arizona and two in California—with capacity for more than 6,300 migrant children.

The office continued to award contracts to Southwest Key, despite knowing about these problems, because at this time there is no other place to put all these minors.said Diane de Gramont, an attorney with the National Center for Youth Law.

We would be extremely concerned if children ended up in Border Patrol facilities for longer periods of time because that office does not have enough beds for them.he pointed.

The Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights organization asked that the children in custody be immediately handed over to their families and have access to lawyers. independent courts to hear their claims for damages.