Topic: Southwest Key

Juan Sanchez, founder of Southwest Key Programs, announced that the organization may have to lay off staff after the government cut the number of children being served by 48%. The Austin-based NGO receives approximately $100 million annually to manage detention facilities for migrant children. The situation highlights the business-like nature of NGOs that view migrants as "clients" for organizational growth.

Non-governmental organizations like Southwest Key and Baptist Child and Family Services receive hundreds of millions of dollars in federal grants from Health and Human Services to manage migrant children. Analysis of 990 tax forms reveals high executive salaries and a business model that treats immigrants as "clients." The cost of detaining these individuals is approximately $35,000 per year, comparable to the commercial prison industry.