Lawsuit against US institution whose employees sexually abused immigrant children

A lawsuit has been filed against Southwest Key, a US shelter for unaccompanied migrant children, alleging that its employees sexually abused children in their care.

The US Department of Justice said in a statement on Thursday that the lawsuit was filed as a result of employees at the largest charitable organization for housing unaccompanied immigrant children in the United States sexually assaulting children under their care from 2015 to 2023.

The lawsuit filed in a Texas court alleges a “pattern of severe or pervasive sexual harassment” dating back to at least 2015 at a network of shelters run by the organization, which is inconsistent with the federal government’s approach to caring for immigrants who come to the United States without parents or legal guardians.

The lawsuit includes instances of "aggravated sexual assault, rape, solicitation of sexual acts, taking nude photographs, soliciting inappropriate sexual relations, and sexual comments and innuendos." The department said the institution failed to take adequate precautions to prevent child abuse and prevented children from reporting sexual abuse.

The organization, based in Austin, Texas, provides shelter for unaccompanied migrant children arriving at the southern border. The organization, which operates under the supervision of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, has 29 shelters for children.

According to Reuters, migrant crossings have reached a record high under President Joe Biden’s administration. From fiscal year 2021 through June of this year, more than 500,000 unaccompanied minors arrived at the U.S.-Mexico border, according to U.S. government data.