Founder Leaves Texas Nonprofit That Detains Migrant Children

(HOUSTON) — A nonprofit that detains thousands of migrant children for the Trump administration says its founder and CEO is stepping down.

Southwest Key Programs said in a statement Monday that Juan Sanchez will retire.

The Austin, Texas-based nonprofit operates facilities at and near the U.S.-Mexico border, collecting hundreds of millions of dollars annually through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Southwest Key has come under fire as the Trump administration detained more immigrants and conducted large-scale separations of families last year. Critics have accused Sanchez of facilitating the detention of thousands of children and questioned the salaries Southwest Key paid him and his family. The New York Times reported in December that federal prosecutors were examining Southwest Key’s finances.

The organization thanked Sanchez, saying “it’s time to begin a new chapter.”

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