Justice Department Sues Southwest Key for Sexual Abuse and Harassment of Unaccompanied Migrant Children Since 2015

El Paso, Texas United States of America
An employee took an 11-year-old boy to a hotel for several days and paid the minor to perform sexual acts.
Employees threatened minors with violence to prevent reporting of rape, solicitations of sex, and entreaties for nude photographs.
Justice Department files lawsuit against Southwest Key for repeated sexual abuse and harassment of unaccompanied migrant children since 2015.
Some staff knew about ongoing abuse but failed to report it or concealed it.
Southwest Key operates shelters in Texas, Arizona, and California that can house over 6,300 children. Most are between 13 and 17 years old from Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador.
The lawsuit comes after federal judge granted the department's request to lift special court oversight of Health and Human Services care of unaccompanied migrant children.
Justice Department Sues Southwest Key for Sexual Abuse and Harassment of Unaccompanied Migrant Children Since 2015

Justice Department Accuses Southwest Key of Repeated Sexual Abuse and Harassment of Unaccompanied Migrant Children

The Justice Department has filed a lawsuit against Southwest Key Programs, the largest provider of housing for unaccompanied migrant children in the United States, accusing its employees of engaging in severe and pervasive sexual abuse and harassment since at least 2015.

According to the lawsuit filed on July 18, 2024, Southwest Key employees repeatedly subjected minors in their care to threats of violence intended to prevent them from reporting rape, solicitations of sex and entreaties for nude photographs. The allegations include instances where children were threatened with violence against themselves or family if they reported the abuse.

The lawsuit also states that some staff knew about ongoing abuse but failed to report it or concealed it. For example, an employee at Southwest Key's Tucson, Arizona, shelter took an 11-year-old boy to a hotel for several days and paid the minor to perform sexual acts on the employee.

Southwest Key has been awarded nearly $6 billion in federal funds since 2007 and operates shelters in Texas, Arizona, and California that can house over 6,300 children. Most of these children are between 13 and 17 years old and come from Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador.

The Justice Department's lawsuit comes after a federal judge granted the department's request to lift special court oversight of Health and Human Services' care of unaccompanied migrant children on July 2, 2024. The Biden administration argued that new safeguards rendered special oversight unnecessary.

Southwest Key has been under scrutiny before for its handling of abuse allegations. In a statement, the organization said it continued to shelter children and remained focused on their safety, health, and well-being.

The lawsuit is significant as it highlights the need for increased transparency and accountability in the care of unaccompanied migrant children at shelters like those operated by Southwest Key. It also raises concerns about the adequacy of current safeguards to protect these vulnerable children from harm.


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Confidence

100%

No Doubts Found At Time Of Publication

Sources

63%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Largest housing provider for migrant children engaged in pervasive sexual abuse, U.S. says

The Associated Press News Thursday, 18 July 2024 18:47
  • Unique Points
    • The Justice Department accused Southwest Key Programs Inc. of repeated sexual abuse and harassment of unaccompanied migrant children in their care since at least 2015.
    • An employee repeatedly sexually abused three girls ages 5, 8 and 11 at the Casa Franklin shelter in El Paso, Texas.
    • An employee of the provider’s shelter in Tucson, Arizona, took an 11-year-old boy to a hotel and paid him to perform sexual acts for several days in 2020.
    • Children were threatened with violence against themselves or family if they reported abuse. Some staff knew about the ongoing abuse and failed to report it or concealed it.
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (30%)
    The article reports on allegations of sexual abuse and harassment of children in the care of Southwest Key Programs Inc. by their employees. The author does not make any editorializing or pontification statements, but the title itself is sensational and emotional manipulative. The article also mentions that at least two employees have been indicted on criminal charges related to these allegations since 2020, which implies a high level of deception by omission as it does not mention how many employees in total have been indicted or the nature of the charges against them. Additionally, the article reports on testimony from victims that staff knew about ongoing abuse and failed to report it or concealed it.
    • At least two employees have been indicted on criminal charges related to the allegations since 2020.
    • The lawsuit provides extensive details, saying authorities received more than 100 reports of sexual abuse or harassment at the provider's shelters since 2015.
  • Fallacies (85%)
    The article contains multiple instances of inflammatory rhetoric and appeals to authority. The author uses phrases such as 'shocking litany of offenses', 'vast network of shelters', and 'major but low-profile player' to elicit an emotional response from the reader. Additionally, the author quotes Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra stating that the complaint raises serious concerns about Southwest Key, which is an appeal to authority as it implies that his statement holds weight due to his position. No formal fallacies were found.
    • The Justice Department said Thursday, alleging a shocking litany of offenses
    • Southwest Key Programs Inc. employees, including supervisors, raped, touched or solicited sex and nude images of children beginning in 2015 and possibly earlier.
    • Health and Human Services reported 6,228 children at all of its facilities on June 17
    • The lawsuit provides extensive details
    • An employee Repeatedly sexually abused three girls ages 5, 8 and 11 at the Casa Franklin shelter in El Paso, Texas.
    • Children were threatened with violence against themselves or family if they reported abuse
  • Bias (0%)
    The article reports on allegations of sexual abuse and harassment of unaccompanied migrant children by employees of Southwest Key Programs Inc., a housing provider for these children. The author does not express any bias towards the subject matter but uses objective language throughout the article. However, the author does use language that depicts the actions of Southwest Key employees as extreme and unreasonable, which could be seen as implicit bias. For example, 'repeatedly sexually abused' and 'paid him to perform sexual acts for several days'. This type of language is used to emphasize the severity of the allegations. Additionally, there is a disproportionate number of quotations that reflect negatively on Southwest Key and its employees. The article includes quotes from victims, investigators, and government officials all expressing concern or outrage over the alleged abuse. These quotes serve to reinforce the seriousness of the situation but could also be seen as biased against Southwest Key.
    • An employee repeatedly sexually abused three girls ages 5, 8 and 11 at the Casa Franklin shelter in El Paso, Texas.
      • The lawsuit also alleges that an employee of the provider's shelter in Tucson, Arizona, took an 11-year-old boy to a hotel and paid him to perform sexual acts for several days in 2020.
      • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication
      • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication

      80%

      The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
      (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

      A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

      Unaccompanied migrant kids suffered ‘severe' sexual abuse by housing provider, DOJ says

      NBC DFW News Channel LLC Paul Weber, Friday, 19 July 2024 01:46
      • Unique Points
        • The largest housing provider for unaccompanied migrant children, Southwest Key, is accused of engaging in severe and pervasive sexual abuse and harassment of children in its care according to the Justice Department.
        • , an employee took an 11-year-old boy to a hotel for several days and paid the minor to perform sexual acts on the employee.
        • Children were threatened with violence against themselves or family if they reported the abuse, some staff knew about ongoing abuse and failed to report it or concealed it.
      • Accuracy
        No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
      • Deception (0%)
        The article contains multiple instances of selective reporting and sensationalism. The author focuses on the most extreme cases of sexual abuse allegations without providing context about the number of incidents or the overall population of children in Southwest Key's care. This creates a misleading impression that such incidents are commonplace, which is not supported by the information provided in the article.
        • Among the allegations is the repeated abuse of a 5-year-old in the care of a Southwest Key shelter in El Paso.
        • A youth care worker at the provider’s Tucson, Arizona, shelter took an 11-year-old boy to a hotel for several days and paid the minor to perform sexual acts on the employee.
        • The largest housing provider for unaccompanied migrant children has engaged in the ‘severe, pervasive’ sexual abuse and harassment of children in its care, the Justice Department alleges.
      • Fallacies (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication
      • Bias (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication
      • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication
      • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication

      98%

      The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
      (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

      A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

      Justice Dept. Sues Southwest Key Over Abuse of Migrant Children

      The Name Of The NZ Prefix. I PWA NZI.P.Was Dropped. Aishvarya Kavi Thursday, 18 July 2024 23:31
      • Unique Points
        • Justice Dept. has sued Southwest Key Programs for accusations of sexual abuse and harassment of migrant children.
        • Southwest Key documented incidents of abuse reported by children but employees did not report observed or known abuse or policy violations.
      • Accuracy
        No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
      • Deception (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication
      • Fallacies (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication
      • Bias (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication
      • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication
      • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication