ICE Hires Contractor Accused of Torture to Track Undocumented Immigrant Children

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has quietly handed a contract to MVM Inc, a private security company long accused of involvement in human rights abuses, to track down undocumented immigrant children living in the US. The children, many of whom arrived alone and were released to sponsors while awaiting immigration proceedings, are now subject to intensified surveillance under the guise of “safety and wellness checks.”

Documents reveal ICE’s actual goal is far from benign. Internal agency files reviewed by The Guardian last year exposed that these operations aim to deport children or pursue criminal charges against them or their sponsors. Critics have condemned this as a “backdoor family separation” tactic, continuing the trauma inflicted on immigrant families during the Trump administration.

MVM, based in Ashburn, Virginia, employs around 2,500 people and has provided security services to federal agencies including the CIA. The company is currently embroiled in a federal lawsuit alleging “torture, enforced disappearance, and cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment” for its role in the family separation policy at the border. Plaintiffs include two Guatemalan children separated from their fathers in 2017 with MVM’s substantial involvement.

Despite these serious allegations, ICE awarded MVM the contract in April 2026 to provide “boots on the ground” for locating children previously released from government custody. The contract’s financial details and the number of wellness checks to be performed remain redacted. ICE claims MVM contractors have no immigration enforcement authority and that the initiative’s primary focus is protecting children from abuse and exploitation.

Immigrant rights advocates are unconvinced. Michael Lukens, executive director of the Amica Center for Immigrant Rights, described the program as a “ploy” to either arrest and deport children or their sponsors, or to intimidate children into self-deportation. “It’s really deplorable. It’s really concerning,” Lukens said.

This latest contract highlights the ongoing use of private contractors with questionable human rights records to enforce harsh immigration policies. It underscores the Trump administration’s legacy of weaponizing government agencies against vulnerable communities under the pretense of public safety and welfare.

We will continue to track and expose these abuses, holding ICE and its contractors accountable for the harm inflicted on immigrant children and families.