A private security company with a controversial history is monitoring unaccompanied immigrant minors. Immigration authorities enlisted a third-party contractor to locate these vulnerable children, raising serious concerns among advocates.
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) awarded a tracking contract to MVM Inc., an organisation previously accused of human rights violations. While officials defend the initiative as a routine protective measure, critics argue it is a covert strategy to resume aggressive deportations.
ICE has intensified efforts to locate undocumented youths released into local communities. To expand operations, the agency contracted external personnel to put 'boots on the ground.'
The agency calls these operations 'safety and wellness checks,' aimed at verifying a child's welfare. According toThe Guardian, an internal ICE document reviewed by reporters indicates the true objective is to deport minors or pursue criminal cases against their sponsors.
A DHS spokesperson firmly denied these claims on 1 May. 'Accusations that ICE is "targeting" and arresting children are FALSE and an attempt to demonize law enforcement,' the spokesperson stated.
They added that the agency does not divide households. 'Rather than separating families, ICE asks parents if they want to be removed with their children or if the child should be placed with someone safe the parent designates.'
MVM Inc is a Virginia-based security contractor providing transport and detention services to federal agencies. In mid-April, the company officially secured the contract to assist ICE.
The firm facedlegal backlash in 2024 when two Guatemalan fathers sued them. The lawsuit alleged 'torture, enforced disappearance and cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment,' citing the company's involvement in previous border policies.
According to the filing, the contractor removed thousands of youths from their parents. 'MVM transported and harbored these children using unmarked vehicles, commercial airlines, and makeshift detention centers,' the lawsuit noted.
MVM requested a dismissal, arguing they had 'openly denounced' the campaign. By March 2025, a judge allowed the core allegations of inhumane treatment to proceed.
Source: International Business Times UK
