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ICE Collaborates with Private Firm with Torture allegations
(MENAFN) U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has entered into an agreement with a private security contractor to help locate migrant children who entered the United States without their parents, according to reports.
The Guardian reported that ICE, part of the Department of Homeland Security, hired Virginia-based MVM in mid-April under a one-year contract. The company is expected to assist in efforts to track minors who were released into communities while awaiting immigration court proceedings.
MVM provides detention and transport services to federal immigration agencies, but it has faced serious allegations in unrelated legal cases. A lawsuit filed in California claims the company was involved in actions described as “torture, enforced disappearance and cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment” linked to family separations in 2017. The case alleges that employees forcibly removed thousands of children from their parents and transported them using unmarked vehicles, commercial flights, and temporary detention sites.
According to reports, the company is currently facing ongoing legal scrutiny over those allegations, though no final ruling has been made in that case.
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security said that MVM does not have immigration enforcement powers and described the partnership as part of efforts to ensure the safety of vulnerable minors. The spokesperson stated that the focus of the initiative is to carry out welfare checks to confirm that children are not being exploited or harmed.
The department has also rejected criticism of the program, arguing that claims that ICE is targeting children are inaccurate and misrepresent law enforcement activities.
However, internal documents referenced in reports have raised questions about the broader objectives of such operations, suggesting they may include actions beyond welfare checks, including immigration enforcement outcomes.
The arrangement has drawn political attention, with some lawmakers calling for closer congressional oversight of the contract and its implementation.
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