KRGV.com
AUSTIN - Southwest Key Programs laid off reportedly hundreds of employees. According to its website, the nonprofit's budget is "primarily from government contracts for youth programs."
CHANNEL 5 NEWS obtained a copy of a letter given to those slated to be laid off.
It states, "Due to the low number of unaccompanied children crossing our national border, the federal government has instructed all of its shelter contractors, including Southwest Key, that they must decrease the bed capacity in response to the current situation. Therefore, Southwest Key has been directed to lay off staff in accordance with this mandate."
The letter adds a meeting Friday morning at the Brownsville Event Center will let employees know about the benefits available to them.
Texas is one of seven states the nonprofit operates in.
In late January, KRGV reported that the company was refurbishing the old Walmart on FM 802 and Highway 48 to house unaccompanied minors and had been holding job fairs. at that time, Channel fiver reported that:
"A Southwest Key spokeswoman confirmed the facility is set to open on March. They said it’ll be to welcome unaccompanied minors who crossed into the U.S. illegally.
It will be the 4th facility in Brownsville to shelter children, under the age of 17, who have crossed into the U.S. without an adult.
Southwest Key is federally funded by the Office of Refugees Resettlement. The group’s mission is to provide a safe environment for unaccompanied children while they wait to be reunited with a sponsor or relative in the U.S.
Officials said the number of unaccompanied children in the past three years has, historically, been the highest. They expect the numbers to remain the same.
According to ORR’s website, most children are coming from Central America. They said 15 to 17-year-olds still make the biggest age group.
The website also stated twice as many males are coming to the U.S. than females. The average stay for unaccompanied minors is 36 days.
The letter adds a meeting Friday morning at the Brownsville Event Center will let employees know about the benefits available to them.
Texas is one of seven states the nonprofit operates in.
In late January, KRGV reported that the company was refurbishing the old Walmart on FM 802 and Highway 48 to house unaccompanied minors and had been holding job fairs. at that time, Channel fiver reported that:
It will be the 4th facility in Brownsville to shelter children, under the age of 17, who have crossed into the U.S. without an adult.
Southwest Key is federally funded by the Office of Refugees Resettlement. The group’s mission is to provide a safe environment for unaccompanied children while they wait to be reunited with a sponsor or relative in the U.S.
Officials said the number of unaccompanied children in the past three years has, historically, been the highest. They expect the numbers to remain the same.
According to ORR’s website, most children are coming from Central America. They said 15 to 17-year-olds still make the biggest age group.
The website also stated twice as many males are coming to the U.S. than females. The average stay for unaccompanied minors is 36 days.
8 comments:
Another Lucio project bites the dust. Just like Convergys, Teleperformance, Titan Tires... Way to go Valle....
This is great news. I hope they close the whole government tit sucking company down completely! This company among others were advertising for clients in Central America to come use their services. The SWK owners were making millions off of tax dollars. Time to find another scam to run Southwest Key. Trump put an end to your cash cow.
Another obama fraud program bites the dust.
These Programs should be CUT!!! Southwest Keys and IES have been making millions off the govt for years. Kind of ironic how non profits such as IES have executives such as founder Dr ruben gallegos and his son have 3 Porsche's in his driveway. I understand these children need help, but what about the millions of american children here without food and shelter, Yet, somehow swimming pools are a necessity for the children???
I call bullshit in regards to Southwest Key's statement. I think it is very unlikely that the feds told them they had to reduce capacity. The feds don't care if they have excess capacity or not, that is an internal issue. The feds are going to place however many people they place and if Southwest Key opts to have extra, unfilled beds that is their business. Also, the statement that due to this mandate they have been directed to lay off staff is pretty suspicious. The feds don't care if Southwest Key is over-staffed or not. That is a private business decision that Southwest Key must make. Also, I notice that while the statement implies that the feds directed them to lay off staff it does not actually say that. I'd say it is much more likely that the home office directed them to lay off staff and they want to shift blame to the feds so they don't look like the bad guys.
I live near the closed Walmart building. INSTEAD of a place like that, WHY not open a new retail store? a new mini mall? NOPE, keeping illegal minors in an area where there are ALREADY too many people that are residents and/or citizens in need was NEVER a good idea. Those same people that lost their jobs can be hired if the minors are returned to their nations and let THEIR government take care of them and OUR government take care of OUR citizens and residents. From our mayor to our commissioners: NO VISION, NO JOBS for our local community. Matamoros has grown 5 or 6 times more than Brownsville, they are building a state o the art American consulate in another country and we get leftovers taking care of minors that are not even from the USA. Ah, but during election time Martinez brings up LING, SpaceX, our pal cities; Jessica brings up Portway park (that's an old story now), Rose brings up the bike trails and less than 20% of Brownsville voters go to the polls and we end up with the same waste we've had for the last 10 years. In those 10 years, we've had Kmart closing, Walmart closing, two stores at the mall are currently closing, un employment in Brownsville double, no MAJOR manufacturing jobs, NO Major local economy progress, but we cry baby because a place that SHOULD NOT BE EVEN OPEN in Brownsville is having a REDUCTION of personnel.
Instead of complaining about it, the next time local elections come up, THROW THEM OUT OF OFFICE.
Well, with the river of Wetback larva drying up to a trickle, there is no need to spend millions of our tax dollars to give them a bed and a teddy bear. Southwest Key was just another contractor trying to rip off the Feds and got caught sucking eggs.
Living high on the hog.
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