The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said on March 12 that it has stopped placing unaccompanied illegal immigrant children in shelters operated by housing provider Southwest Key Programs Inc. over allegations of sexual abuse and harassment. HHS said it has moved all minors previously housed at those facilities to other shelters.
The department said that it decided to stop placing children in Southwest Key facilities “out of continuing concerns relating to these placements.”
The Department of Justice (DOJ) also dismissed its civil rights lawsuit against the Texas-based provider, HHS said in a statement.
Southwest Key Programs Inc. has worked with the federal government since 1996, according to its website. It operates residential shelters in Arizona, California, and Texas, providing temporary housing for children under 18 who enter the United States without a parent or guardian and legal immigration status….