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Go to www.elgrinch.com Página 2 La Prensa December 28, 2018 ‘A moral disaster’: AP reveals scope of migrant As number of kids detained soared, so did kids’ program accusations of sexual abuse by gov’t agents By GARANCE BURKE and MARTHA MENDOZA, Associated Press By ASTRID GALVAN, Associated Press 19 XII 18 (AP): Decades through,” said Cecilio Ramirez The kids in these programs after the U.S. stopped institu- Castaneda range in age from toddlers to PHOENIX, 19 XII 18 (AP): where. The policies of Donald facility overseen by the Of- , a Salvadoran who Trump’s administration, in- tionalizing kids because large was separated from his 12-year- 17. The vast majority crossed The number of children be- fice of Refugee Resettlement, and crowded orphanages were old son, Omar, when they were the border without their par- ing held in immigrant shel- cluding extended background even for attorneys represent- causing lasting trauma, it is ents, but some were separated ters has soared over the past checks and deportation refer- ing the kids. But the AP ob- apprehended in June under the rals for adult relatives who come happening again. The federal administration’s “zero toler- from their families at the bor- few years, bringing with it a tained data showing the num- government has placed most ance” policy, which led to der earlier this year. number of issues, especially forward to take the children in, ber of children in individual of the 14,300 migrant chil- The care they receive var- in Arizona, where several have resulted in a spike in more ORR detention centers, shel- nearly 3,000 children being kids being held, and they’re dren in its care in detention separated from their families. ies greatly in the opaque net- workers in charge of caring ters and foster care programs centers and residential facili- Omar feared his father had work, which has encompassed for them have been charged often held for longer periods of for nearly every week over ties packed with hundreds, or 150 different facilities over with sexually-based crimes. time. the past 20 months, revealing given up on him during his In Arizona, two shelters, one thousands, of kids. five months in a Texas shelter. the last 20 months in 17 states: In Arizona, where over 800 in detail the expanse of a As the year draws to a close, Ramirez was reunited with Arizona, California, Con- immigrant kids are being in Mesa and another in Tuc- program at the center of the some 5,400 detained migrant necticut, Florida, Illinois, held, the state’s largest pro- son, hold over 100 kids at any Trump administration’s im- Omar last month only to learn given time. But that’s only af- children in the U.S. are sleep- that his son had been hospital- Kansas, Massachusetts, Mary- vider of shelters has been migration crackdown. ing in shelters with more than ized for depression and medi- land, Michigan, New Jersey, forced to shut down two fa- ter two other shelters that had Administration officials 1,000 other children. Some New York, Oregon, Pennsyl- cilities over improper back- much higher capacity had to said increased need has driven cated for unclear reasons, and close down in the agreement 9,800 are in facilities with 100- suffered a broken arm, while in vania, South Carolina, Texas, ground checks for employ- them to expand the number Virginia, and Washington ees. The state health depart- with the state. of beds available for migrant plus total kids, according to government custody. Casa Phoenix confidential government data state. Some children live with ment launched an investiga- Before closed children from 6,500 last fall “It’s a system that causes in November, it had been hous- obtained and cross-checked irreparable damage,” Ramirez foster families and are treated tion this summer after reports to 16,000 today. by The Associated Press. said. to Broadway shows, while oth- of abuse at different shelters ing nearly 400 kids for several “Expanding a mix of per- Three months after Presi- ers sleep in canvas tents in the operated by Texas-based months. The other facility that manent and temporary bed Experts say the anxiety and Southwest Key, closed, in Youngtown, housed dent Donald Trump took of- distrust children suffer while Texas desert. which is also capacity is a prudent step to fice, the same federal program institutionalized can cause the largest provider of shel- over 130 children in the months ensure that the Border Patrol • Through dozens of before it closed. had 2,720 migrant youth in its long-lasting mental and physi- ters for immigrant children in can continue its vital na- interviews and data Arizona. Arizona has seen numerous tional security mission to care—most in shelters with a cal health problems. It’s worse analysis, AP found: few dozen kids or in foster for younger children, those Over 1,600 kids were de- allegations of sexual abuse, prevent illegal migration, traf- • As of Dec. 17, some 9,800 including one made by the programs. who stay more than a few days tained in Arizona earlier this ficking and protect the bor- children were in facilities year, until Southwest Key was government of El Salvador, ders of the United States,” Until now, public informa- and those who are in larger housing more than 100 kids; tion has been limited about facilities with less personal forced to close two large fa- which said it received reports said Mark Weber, a spokes- 5,405 of those were in three of three children, 12 to 17, who the number of youths held at care. cilities in the Fall. That num- man for U.S. Health and Hu- facilities with more than 1,000 ber is now about 800. were sexually abused at un- man Services, which over- each facility overseen by the “This is a moral disaster,” youths in Texas and Florida. Office of Refugee Resettle- said Dr. Jack Shonkoff, who Still, that’s only a fraction named shelters in Arizona. sees ORR. • Texas had the most In August, police arrested a ment. The AP obtained data heads Harvard University’s of the 14,300 immigrant chil- In Arizona, the agreement growth in the number of kids dren in detention centers and 33-year-old man on suspicion Southwest Key made with the showing the number of chil- Center on the Developing under ORR custody—about dren in individual detention Child. “We are inflicting pun- residential facilities nation- of sexually abusing a 14-year- state health department this 8,700, up from 1,368 in April old girl at the same Southwest centers, shelters and foster care ishments on innocent children wide. year came after it failed to get 2017. New York had the sec- Most are being held in Key shelter where just weeks the proper fingerprint clear- programs for nearly every week that will have lifelong conse- ond-highest number of chil- over the past 20 months, re- quences.” facilities with over 100 kids, earlier first lady Melania Trump ance from all employees on dren—about 1,650, up from had taken a tour. vealing in detail the expanse Administration officials according to confidential time. 210 in April 2017. government data obtained In September, a former Dr. Cara Christ, the health of a program at the center of the say increased need has driven Dozens of the care provid- Trump administration’s immi- them to expand the number of and cross-checked by The youth care worker was con- department director, chided ers have been sued or disci- victed of sexually abusing gration crackdown. beds available for migrant Associated Press. Southwest Key. plined before for mistreating The public has been se- seven teenage boys at a Phoe- “Southwest Key’s lack of It’s been taking at least children from 6,500 last fall to kids. Now new litigation is twice as long as it did in Janu- 16,000 today. Sheltering chil- verely limited in what it nix-area shelter for immigrant ability to deliver a simple piling up as attorneys fight to children. ary 2016, on average two dren in large facilities, while knows about how many report on the critical protec- get migrant children released. youths are held at facilities, Until now, public informa- tions these children have months now, for youth to get not preferable, is a better alter- This December, many will be out of ORR custody, in part native than holding them for but the AP has obtained data tion has been limited about the against dangerous felons enduring their first holidays detailing how many kids are number of youths held at each (Continued on Page 11) because the administration long periods at Border Patrol without family. added more restrictive screen- stations, said Mark Weber, a Manuel Marcelino Tzah, ing measures for parents and spokesman for the U.S.