Dr. Anselmo Villarreal Becomes The President & CEO Of Southwest Key Organization Based In Austin, Which Provides Shelters For Immigrant Children Separated From Undocumented Parents Detained By ICE

Villarreal was the former President & CEO of La Casa de Esperanza in Waukesha, Wisconsin for more than 30 years, according to its website.

By H. Nelson Goodson

Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

March 22, 2021

Austin, Texas - Dr. Anselmo Villarreal left his position as President & CEO of La Casa de Esperanza after more than 30 years of service at the non-profit organization in Waukesha, Wisconsin. Villarreal became the new President & CEO of Southwest Key Organization another non-profit based in Austin, Texas in February 2021.

The Southwest Key org. is best known in Texas including in Wisconsin for an ongoing program that provides immigrant (for undocumented children separated from families when detained at the border by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)) shelters for unaccompanied children entering the U.S. illegally under a $458M multimillion annual contract with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services/Office of Refugee Resettlement to hold undocumented children since 2018 and has made nearly $2B in the last 12 years under government contracts and the former Trump administration. 

The Biden administration has not confirmed, if Southwest Key org. will continue the government contracts under the current administration for Southwest Key org. to provide immigrant shelters to separated children from undocumented parents illegally entering the U.S. or to unaccompanied undocumented children detained at the border by ICE.

In 2018, Villarreal faced a call to resign from the Southwest Key Board, which he was serving for more than 12 years with a petition on social media by The Young People's Resistance Committee. Villarreal when contacted at the time by Hispanic News Network U.S.A. (HNNUSA) stated that he wouldn't resign from the Southwest Key (SWK) Board and Villarreal released the following statement in 2018, "SWK doesn't support the separation of families at the border, SWK and other communities providers in this service area are the alternative to the cages you have seen in the media."

"The kids that we serve and their well-being are our main priority. Our goal is to reunite children with a parent or sponsor, but until then we provide food, clothing, licensed medical care, counseling, education and most importantly a safe and loving environment.

"We don't make policy and we don't run detention centers "WE CARE FOR CHILDREN."

"For 30 years we have been committed to our values and mission, regardless of policy so kids in need are taking care of and reunited with their families. I am honor to serve in the Board of SWK, so I AM NOT RESIGNING."

The prior CEO salary at Southwest Key Org. according to Wikipedia, "In 2016, Southwest Key Programs' CEO Juan Sanchez was paid a base salary of $770,860 and received additional compensation for a retirement policy, under the direction of the Board of Directors, who work with outside auditors to evaluate all executive pay."

In addition, Sanchez made at least $3.6M in total compensation in 2017, according to federal tax filings, the Washington Post reported in 2019, the year that Sanchez left Southwest Key Organization.

On March 1, 2021, Shari Campbell became the Interim President & CEO of La Casa de Esperanza after serving more than 21 years in multiple roles at the non-profit organization in Waukesha.