Westbank Louisiana News

U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, has requested a hearing to investigate Southwest Key Programs Inc., an Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) contractor. This follows allegations of sexual abuse of unaccompanied migrant children under its care. The Department of Justice (DOJ) recently filed a lawsuit against Southwest Key, alleging that its employees have engaged in a pattern or practice of sexual abuse and harassment since at least 2015.

Southwest Key operates 29 shelters with the capacity to house up to 6,300 unaccompanied migrant children, making it the largest shelter provider for unaccompanied children in ORR custody nationwide.

“This lawsuit adds to a long list of failures by ORR to keep unaccompanied children safe," wrote Dr. Cassidy. "The time has come for this Committee to hold a hearing with ORR officials to learn more about the steps the agency is taking to protect the children in its care and prevent abuse."

Cassidy emphasized the necessity for accountability from both ORR and its contractors: “I implore you to hold a hearing with ORR officials and representatives from Southwest Key as soon as practicable.”

In its lawsuit, DOJ alleges that multiple Southwest Key employees subjected children to “sexual contact and inappropriate touching, solicitation of sex acts, solicitation of nude photos, entreaties for inappropriate relationships and sexual comments.” Additionally, DOJ claims that Southwest Key discouraged children from officially reporting these incidents.

During his investigation into the exploitation of migrant children, Cassidy found that ORR has repeatedly silenced whistleblowers and punished those who reported abuse.

Earlier this year, Cassidy hosted a roundtable discussing what he termed as failures by the Biden-Harris administration in protecting unaccompanied children from exploitation and abuse. He criticized the administration for not cooperating with his investigation.

Cassidy's letter requests HELP Committee Chair Bernie Sanders (I-VT) convene a hearing on this matter: "If this harassment went undetected at its largest grantee for so many years," he wrote, "there are serious questions about the treatment of unaccompanied children at other ORR facilities."

The letter concludes with an appeal for prompt attention: "Thank you for your prompt attention to this important matter. I look forward to hearing from you."