The Department of Justice cited numerous examples of alleged misconduct: a Southwest Key Programs employee in El Paso, Texas, who “repeatedly sexually abused” three girls between the ages of 5 and 11, and another worker in Arizona who took a 15-year-old boy to a hotel room, paying him to perform sexual acts.
The Trump administration has directed the Department of Justice to drop an ongoing civil lawsuit against Southwest Key Programs, a housing provider accused of facilitating the sexual abuse and harassment of undocumented children.
According to The Associated Press, the Justice Department’s motion to dismiss was filed shortly after the government announced that it had already moved unaccompanied migrant children to other shelters.
The lawsuit, which was filed last year under the Biden administration, claimed that Southwest Key Programs was liable for a wide range of offenses, all purportedly committed between 2015 and 2023.In that same period of time, Southwest Key Programs entered into contracts valued at about $3 billion with the federal Department of Health and Human Services.
The Department of Health and Human Services has since said that it no longer sends unaccompanied children to Southwest Key Programs’ facilities, largely “out of continuing concerns relating to these placements.” The agency also indicated that it will undertake a review of all grants still being paid to Southwest.
The Associated Press notes that the Justice Department has posited its decision to dismiss as practical; Southwest Key Programs, in contrast, has cast the case’s outcome as a clear-cut victory.
“Southwest Key strongly denies the claims relating to child sexual abuse in our shelters, and there is no settlement or payment required,” the company said in a statement.
“We always believed the facts would prove the allegations to be without merit,” Southwest said. “We thank the Government for its commitment to reviewing the whole record and dropping the case with prejudice.”
The lawsuit initially claimed that Southwest Key employees—including supervisors and managerial staff—raped, inappropriately touched, and captured sexual and nude images of migrant children beginning in at least 2015.
The Department of Justice cited numerous examples of alleged misconduct: an employee in El Paso, Texas, who “repeatedly sexually abused” three girls between the ages of 5 and 11, and another worker in Arizona who took a 15-year-old boy to a hotel room, paying him to perform sexual acts.
Leecia Welch, an attorney representing migrant children in a separate case, said that the Department of Justice’s investigation under the Biden administration revealed the extent and scope of abuse at Southwest Key Programs facilities.
“DOJ’s lawsuit revealed horrific sexual abuse and inhumane treatment of children detained in Southwest Key shelters,” Welch said. “It’s shocking to me that the government now turns a blind eye to their own contractor’s actions. I hope the impacted children will have other legal recourse and supporting in healing from their abuse.”
Sources
Trump Administration Cuts Ties With Migrant Shelter Provider After Dropping Child Abuse Lawsuit
Trump administration drops lawsuit against company accused of abusing children at migrant shelters
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