{"id":631,"date":"2025-03-12T21:02:29","date_gmt":"2025-03-12T21:02:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/2025\/03\/12\/trump-administration-cuts-ties-ends-suit-against-company-alleging-abuse-at-child-migrant-shelters-the-associated-press\/"},"modified":"2025-03-12T21:02:29","modified_gmt":"2025-03-12T21:02:29","slug":"trump-administration-cuts-ties-ends-suit-against-company-alleging-abuse-at-child-migrant-shelters-the-associated-press","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/2025\/03\/12\/trump-administration-cuts-ties-ends-suit-against-company-alleging-abuse-at-child-migrant-shelters-the-associated-press\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump administration cuts ties, ends suit against company alleging abuse at child migrant shelters &#8211; The Associated Press"},"content":{"rendered":"<div xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\">\n<div>\n<p>             By\u00a0             <span>VALERIE GONZALEZ<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                 <bsp-timestamp data-timestamp=\"1741805445000\" data-recent-thresholdinhours=\"1\">                     <template data-date-tpl>Updated [hour]:[minute] [AMPM] [timezone], [monthFull] [day], [year]<\/template>                     <span data-date>\u00a0<\/span>                 <\/bsp-timestamp>             <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                                                          <bsp-page-actions>                                <\/bsp-page-actions>                               <\/div>\n<div>\n<p>McALLEN, Texas (AP) \u2014 The Trump administration moved to drop a civil lawsuit Wednesday against the largest provider of housing for migrant children over allegations of sexual abuse and harassment of unaccompanied minors, saying it also would no longer be using that company\u2019s services.<\/p>\n<p>The motion to dismiss the suit against Southwest Key Programs was filed after the federal government announced it had moved all unaccompanied children to other shelters and would no longer be using that provider. <\/p>\n<p>The complaint, <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/migrant-children-provider-lawsuit-0bfd45735aa6d41a4233abe6059f0e1f\">filed last year<\/a><\/span> during the Biden administration, alleged a litany of offenses between 2015 and 2023 as Southwest Key Programs, which operates migrant shelters in Texas, Arizona and California, amassed nearly $3 billion in contracts from the Department of Health and Human Services. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cOut of continuing concerns relating to these placements, HHS has decided to stop placement of unaccompanied alien children in Southwest Key facilities, and to review its grants with the organization. In view of HHS\u2019 action, the Department of Justice has dismissed its lawsuit against Southwest Key,\u201d the HHS said in a statement. <\/p>\n<p>Southwest Key Programs furloughed employees across the country. \u201cDue to the unforeseen federal funding freeze and the stop placement order on our unaccompanied minor shelters and Home Study Post Release programs by the Office of Refugee Resettlement, we have made the difficult decision to furlough approximately 5,000 Southwest Key Programs\u2019 employees,\u201d the company said in a statement shared Tuesday.<\/p>\n<p>According to allegations in the 2024 lawsuit, Southwest Key employees, including supervisors, raped, inappropriately touched or solicited sex and nude images of children beginning in 2015 and possibly earlier. <\/p>\n<p>Among the accusations: One employee \u201crepeatedly sexually abused\u201d three girls ages 5, 8 and 11 at the Casa Franklin shelter in El Paso, Texas, with the 8-year-old telling investigators the worker \u201centered their bedrooms in the middle of the night to touch their \u2018private area.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The lawsuit also alleged that another employee, at a shelter in Mesa, Arizona, took a 15-year-old boy to a hotel and paid him to perform sexual acts for several days in 2020.<\/p>\n<p>Children were warned not to report the alleged abuse and threatened with violence against themselves or their families if they did, according to the lawsuit. Victims testified that in some instances, other workers knew about the abuse but failed to report or concealed it, the complaint said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDOJ\u2019s lawsuit revealed horrific sexual abuse and inhumane treatment of children detained in Southwest Key shelters,\u201d said Leecia Welch, an attorney who represents unaccompanied children in a separate case. \u201cIt\u2019s shocking to me that the government now turns a blind eye to their own contractor\u2019s actions. I hope the impacted children will have other legal recourse and support in healing from their abuse.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>At least two employees have been indicted on criminal charges related to the allegations since 2020. <\/p>\n<p>The <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/southwest-key-migrant-children-lawsuit-ee466d9490ec8fcd90ce85b1afca0002\">civil lawsuit<\/a><\/span> had sought a jury trial and monetary damages for the victims. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By\u00a0 VALERIE GONZALEZ Updated [hour]:[minute] [AMPM] [timezone], [monthFull] [day], [year] \u00a0 McALLEN, Texas (AP) \u2014 The Trump administration moved to drop a civil lawsuit Wednesday against the largest provider of housing for migrant children over allegations of sexual abuse and harassment of unaccompanied minors, saying it also would no longer be using that company\u2019s services. 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