The Shenandoah Valley Juvenile Center is facing charges regarding their treatment of illegal immigrant teens. The Center is near Staunton in Virginia.
Purpose of the Center
The local government built the Center to house teenagers, both male and female, convicted of serious crimes. They also have a contract to house juveniles suspected of illegal immigration. Their contract provides $4.2 million annually. That’s enough to cover two-thirds of their operating costs.
Teenagers 14 years old and over who are caught crossing the border alone go to the Virginia center. It is one of three facilities that hold the teenagers until their deportation hearing.
The facility also houses teenage immigrants whom authorities suspect of being involved in violent gangs. MS-13 is the name of the most notorious Latino gang operating in the United States. As President Trump has said, MS-13 is one of the main reasons for his hard stance against illegal immigration into the U.S.
Kelsey Wong is one of the managers at the center. She said that rather than being gang-related criminals, many of the teenagers are suffering mental trauma from activities in their home country. She said that the detention facility isn’t equipped to help such individuals.
