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Thursday 5 sepTember 2019
Shuttered shelter for migrant kids reopens in Phoenix

By ASTRID GALVAN but decided not to pursue
Associated Press charges, saying there was
PHOENIX (AP) — A national “no reasonable likelihood
provider of shelters for im- of proving” the workers
migrant children has re- committed a crime.
opened one of two Arizona There have been numerous
facilities it was forced to allegations of sexual abuse
shutter last year because of at different Southwest Key
issues with employee back- facilities in Arizona, includ-
ground checks. ing one made by the gov-
The Arizona Department ernment of El Salvador,
of Health Services said which said it received re-
Wednesday it approved an ports of three children, 12
application by Southwest to 17, who were sexually
Key to reopen a Phoenix abused at unnamed shel-
facility that can house up ters in the state.
to 420 children. The shelters A year ago, police arrested
are for kids who traveled to a 33-year-old man on sus-
the U.S. alone or were sep- picion of sexually abusing
arated from a relative. a 14-year-old girl at the
The shelter near downtown same Southwest Key shelter
Phoenix has reopened after where just weeks earlier first
getting approval on Sun- This June 20, 2014 file photo shows the Southwest Key-Nueva Esperanza, in Brownsville, Texas, a lady Melania Trump had
day, Southwest Key spokes- facility that shelters unaccompanied immigrant children. taken a tour.
man Neil Nowlin said. Associated Press The Border Patrol appre-
“There is a continuing need hended more than 69,000
for beds in state licensed in a written statement. other criteria to stay open. facility in Youngtown, Ari- people between October
facilities, so we remain An investigation launched Southwest Key has said it zona, just outside Phoenix, and the end of July, a sig-
committed to providing last year by the state’s has resolved the issues and was closed last year amid nificant spike over the last
compassionate care, edu- health department after it is committed to caring for reports that staff shoved year.
cation, recreation, voca- several reports of abuse immigrant youths. and dragged unruly chil- The government contracts
tional training and access found Southwest Key didn’t An application to reopen dren. Videos released to with Southwest Key and
to pro bono legal counsel have fingerprint records for the second shuttered fa- reporters show staffers other private companies to
to the youth in our shel- some employees. It tem- cility where authorities in- dragging children on the provide shelter to children
ters while our staff works to porarily stopped taking in vestigated physical abuse ground and shoving a boy while they are reunited with
safely reunite the minors more children, closed two but decided not to pursue against a door. a relative or while their im-
with a sponsor,” Nowlin said facilities and had to meet charges is pending. That Authorities investigated migration cases play out.q