Seventy-two children from the Texas Sheltered Care facility have been transfered due to an invetigation launched last week by the FBI.
The shelter is used to house children caught crossing the United States border on their own.
"
About 8,000 children, mainly teenagers from Central America who trekked thousands of miles to cross into America, are held at the shelters every year while authorities figure out whether to place them in foster care, hand them over to relatives in the U.S. or return them to their home countries. Most are deported. The average stay at Texas Sheltered Care is 18 days."
There have been allegations that the children were sexually abused.
"
A female staff member who was suspected of sexually abusing children has been fired, officials said."
A
Canadian family was held in one of these centres after being caught with bogus passports on their way back into Canada this week. They said the conditions where they stayed were horrible.
"
Criminal charges against the state-licensed facility and its workers still might be pursued by the Gonzales County district attorney's office. It initially had concluded that the local sheriff did not have jurisdiction and asked the FBI to investigate.
Some lawyers said they are worried that the children would be deported before they get the chance to testify against their alleged abusers."
Email this
Share on Facebook
30,000 drones in American skies, civil liberties in jeopardy
Listen
Print
Social Comments ()
Digital Journal Comments (3)
