Children Removed From Immigrant Shelter
Friday March 23, 2007 10:31 PM
By ALICIA A. CALDWELL
Associated Press Writer
EL PASO, Texas (AP) – Everyone has been cleared out of a federal shelter for child immigrants amid allegations that a single staff member sexually abused some of the youngsters.
The employee, who was not identified, was suspended and later fired from his job at the shelter in Nixon, a town of 2,200 people about 50 miles southeast of San Antonio. Federal officials would not discuss how many children were abused or their ages.
Joshua Trent, associate director of the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement, said officials visited the facility days after learning of the abuse investigation in mid-February.
The children, who were being held at the Away From Home shelter after trying to cross the border alone, were removed to “err on the side of caution,” Trent said.
The last child left the shelter March 7.
It was unclear whether the federal government would cancel its contract with the shelter or whether the shelter would be used again, Trent said. … Full story at Guardian Unlimited
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