US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has awarded a contract to MVM Inc, a private security company facing allegations of torture and enforced disappearance, to help locate undocumented immigrant children who entered the US alone, according to a contracting document.
The agency describes the work as 'safety and wellness checks' to confirm children's location, school enrolment and overall wellbeing. However, an internal ICE document reviewed by the Guardian last year indicated the operations aim to deport the children or pursue criminal cases against them or their adult sponsors.
MVM, based in Ashburn, Virginia, employs about 2,500 people and has provided detention and transport services to federal immigration agencies. In 2024, two Guatemalan fathers and their children sued MVM in California federal court, alleging torture, enforced disappearance and cruel treatment for its role in the family separation policy under the first Trump administration.
The lawsuit claims MVM physically took thousands of children from their parents and transferred them to shelters using unmarked vehicles and commercial airlines. MVM has asked a judge to dismiss the case, arguing it should not be liable for a government policy. In March 2025, a judge allowed the torture and enforced disappearance claims to proceed.
ICE selected MVM from 18 bidders, noting that other companies lacked the 'boots on the ground' child welfare personnel needed. The one-year contract amount and number of checks are redacted. A DHS spokesperson said MVM contractors have zero immigration enforcement authority and that the initiative focuses on protecting children from exploitation.
