Trump Withdraws Lawsuit Against Southwest Key Amid Serious Abuse Allegations

• Trump Withdraws Lawsuit Against Southwest Key.
• Accusations of Migrant Children Abuse.
• 5,000 Employees Suspended Due to Funding.

The administration of former President Donald Trump withdrew a civil lawsuit against Southwest Key Programs, one of the leading housing companies for migrant children.

The company was accused of abuse and sexual harassment against unaccompanied minors in its shelters.

The government also decided to stop using the services of Southwest Key Programs, arguing that all children had been relocated to other centers.

The company had accumulated contracts worth $3 billion from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) between 2015 and 2023.

Government Suspends Placement of Children in Southwest Key After Abuse Lawsuit

«Due to ongoing concerns related to these locations, the Department of Health and Human Services has decided to stop placing unaccompanied foreign children in Southwest Key facilities,» stated the agency in a press release.

The Department of Justice’s lawsuit cited multiple cases of abuse committed in company shelters in Texas, Arizona, and California.

According to the complaint, Southwest Key employees raped, inappropriately touched, or solicited sex and nude images from migrant children since 2015.

One of the most shocking cases occurred at the Casa Franklin shelter in El Paso, Texas.

«An employee repeatedly sexually abused three migrant girls aged 5, 8 and 11,» the document states.

An 8-year-old minor reported that the aggressor «entered their rooms at midnight to touch their ‘private area’».

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Another case mentioned in the lawsuit occurred at a shelter in Mesa, Arizona.

An employee took a 15-year-old boy to a hotel and paid him to perform sexual acts over several days in 2020.

The minors were threatened with violence against them or their families if they reported the abuses.

Some workers were aware of the cases, but did not report or covered them up, according to the file.

The withdrawal of the lawsuit has sparked outrage among activists and lawyers defending migrant children.

«The Department of Justice’s lawsuit revealed horrific sexual abuse and inhumane treatment of detainees in Southwest Key’s shelters,» stated Leecia Welch, a lawyer for unaccompanied minors.

«I am surprised that the government is now turning a blind eye to the actions of its own contractor,» she added.

Southwest Key Programs announced the suspension of approximately 5,000 employees due to the freezing of federal funds.

«We have made the difficult decision to temporarily suspend about 5,000 employees,» informed Anais Biera Miracle, a spokesperson for the company, in statements to EFE.

Since 1996, the nonprofit organization was the main provider of shelter and transportation services for migrant children under 18 years of age.

With the closure of its contracts, Southwest Key also ended home education programs and family reunification assistance in Arizona, California, and Texas.

SOURCE: EFE / El Nuevo Día

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