Three children from El Salvador who were separated from their families after immigrating to the U.S. were sexually abused in detention centers in Arizona, according to a Salvadoran government official.

The alleged victims — all in their teens — are still in government custody and have not been reunited with their families, Deputy Foreign Relations Minister Liduvina Magarin said.

Magarin, speaking to reporters in El Salvador on Thursday, said U.S. officials should immediately release the children from detention “to shield them … from being abused.”

Accusations of sexual abuse at detention centers have emerged in recent weeks. Former employees at two Arizona shelters run by Southwest Key, a Texas-based nonprofit, are facing criminal charges.

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