Private companies are getting rich off of the Trump administration’s policy of separating migrant children from their families. A recent Yahoo News report revealed that through federal government contracts private companies are receiving millions of dollars to provide housing and additional services to migrant children.
With more than 2,500 children now separated from their families, a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Service’s Administration for Children and Families (ACF) told Yahoo News that the agency operates “100 shelters across 17 states.” And private companies account for at least 10 of those. Public record shows that “10 different contracts totaling approximately $92 million, awarded to five different vendors starting in September 2017,” will last through September 2022, ThinkProgress reported.
Comprehensive Health Services Inc. (CHSI) received three federal government contracts worth close to $65 million, according to GovTribe.com. The company, which is based in Florida, was awarded one of the three contracts in February after it marketed itself as having extensive experience with “immigrant shelter services” and now operates an “emergency shelter” in Homestead, Florida for “unaccompanied alien children.”
Another private company that was awarded two contracts – worth $1.8 million each – in September 2017 was Southwest Key Programs based out of Texas. The nonprofit currently operates 26 emergency shelters for migrant children including Casa Padre, the infamous shelter located in a former Walmart building, in Brownsville, Texas.
ThinkProgress reported that Dynamic Service Solution, based in Maryland, provides “shelter care for unaccompanied children” under a federal government contract starting back in September 2017 worth $8.7 million. Along with Dynamic Educational Systems, who was “awarded a pair of contracts worth up to approximately $5.6 million for ’emergency shelter operations.'” And MVM, based in Virginia, is under a federal government contract worth $9.5 million for “shelter operations” and “emergency and other relief services.”
Aside from room and board, the private companies also provide classroom education, health care, recreation, vocational training, mental health services, family reunification, access to leagal services and case management, ThinkProgress reported.
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