OAN Staff Brook Mallory
5:44pm – Wednesday, March 12th, 2025
All illegal immigrant children with companions in shelters run by the Southwest Key Program (Southwest Key) have been transferred to other trusted shelters, according to a statement released today by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
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Who is funding the Southwest Key Shelter? The federal government funds unaccompanied shelters through the Refugee Resettlement Office (ORR) under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), according to its website.
“This administration is boldly working to end the tragedy of human trafficking and other abuse tragedy of unaccompanied alien children entering the country illegally,” said HHS secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Today's actions are an important step towards ending this innocent, innocent abuse. ”
As a leading provider of such shelters for “unaccompanied foreign children” in the United States, Southwest Key operates 27 residential shelters that offer temporary housing options for these children in Texas, Arizona and California.
Minors who illegally enter the United States are known as unaccompanied foreign children in the absence of parents, other legal guardians or people without valid immigration status using smuggling, human trafficking or other methods.
The Justice Department filed a civil lawsuit against Southwest Key in July 2024, claiming through many workers that the company illegally harassed and sexually abused unaccompanied alien children under care. The DOJ said in July that several Southwest's key employees were involved in soliciting sexual acts with children, recruiting nude photos, recruiting nude photos, soliciting sexual acts and sexually speaking out at the shelter between 2015 and 2023.
The lawsuit was filed in US District Court for the Western District of Texas.
Due to continued concerns about these placement, the HHS has investigated grants with Southwest Key and decided to stop placing unaccompanied alien children.
“In light of the actions of HHS, the Department of Justice has dismissed the lawsuit against Southwest Key,” according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
“Securing our borders and protecting children from abuse is one of the most important duties of the Justice Department and the Trump administration,” Attorney General Pam Bondy said. “Under the border policies of previous administrations, bad actors were encouraged to exploit children and break our laws. This is over now.”
This release did not identify the names of shelter staff accused of sexual abuse or harassment.
According to the outlet, the employee was sent a letter on Monday to notify them that the staff was full. kveo and ValleyCentral.com.
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