Largest Migrant Child Shelter Failed to Stop Sex Abuse, DOJ Says

Employees at the biggest private housing provider for unaccompanied migrant children in the US engaged in pervasive sexual assault and harassment of kids in their care, the Justice Department said in a lawsuit.

The DOJ filed a complaint against Southwest Key in the US District Court for the Western District of Texas alleging the nonprofit violated federal housing laws by failing to stop its workers from abusing kids, while reaping billions in federal contracts.

From 2015 to 2023, multiple Southwest Key workers subjected children at their facilities to instances of rape, solicitation of nude photos, and inappropriate touching, the DOJ says in its July 17 suit.

“Southwest Key employees exploited the children’s vulnerabilities, language barriers, and distance from family and loved ones,” the complaint says. “Despite knowledge of these severe and pervasive harms, Southwest Key failed to take appropriate action to protect the children.”

A Southwest Key spokesperson said the organization’s “primary focus is the safety, health, and well-being of each one of the children and youth we care for.” The complaint “does not present the accurate picture of the care and commitment our employees provide to the youth and children,” the spokesperson said.

Southwest Key operates 29 shelters accommodating 6,350 children across Texas, Arizona, and California, the complaint says. The kids in their care are ages five to 17, with no lawful immigration status in the US and no parent or guardian in the country.

The housing operator was aware of the sex abuse through over 100 reports from children and employees, and through criminal cases in some instances, the complaint says. “Southwest Key failed to consistently correct its practices and permitted the harassment to continue without adequate intervention,” the suit says.

The DOJ’s Civil Rights Division is suing Southwest Key for violations of the Fair Housing Act and says the nonprofit is vicariously liable for the acts of its employees.

The government is asking the Austin-based federal court to order the housing provider to take “affirmative steps” to halt the sex abuse, award damages to victims, and assess civil penalties against Southwest Key.

The case is United States v. Southwest Key Programs, Inc., W.D. Tex., No. 1:24-cv-00798, complaint filed 7/17/24.