ICE Contracts MVM Inc for Unaccompanied Child Wellness Checks

In mid-April 2026 ICE awarded a one-year contract to MVM Inc., a firm with 2,500 employees, to conduct “safety and wellness checks” on unaccompanied immigrant children. Chosen from eighteen bidders, MVM will locate children, verify school enrollment, and assess welfare. Value and check count are redacted.

The Guardian

ICE intensified tracking of unaccompanied minors after a 2024 DHS inspector-general report highlighted gaps in locating them. The Trump administration described the issue as children “going missing,” prompting wellness checks. MVM, a contractor, has provided security for CIA, managed the Guantánamo Bay immigration detention center, and participated in family-separation program at the U.S.–Mexico border. In 2024 the company faced a lawsuit by two Guatemalan fathers alleging torture, enforced disappearance, and cruel treatment of their children during the 2017 separation.

The Guardian

• MVM employs ~2,500 staff; 18 firms bid; 1-year contract (expires 2027); redacted amount and wellness-check count; lawsuit alleges torture of two Guatemalan children, ages 16 and 3, separated in 2017.

The Guardian

ICE says the program verifies child location, school attendance, and safety, emphasizing protection from sexual exploitation. A DHS spokesperson said accusations that ICE “targets” children are false, noting MVM contractors have no immigration-enforcement authority and that the initiative’s focus is safeguarding minors.

The Guardian

Michael Lukens, executive director of Amica Center for Immigrant Rights, called the effort “a ploy to locate kids or sponsors to arrest and deport, or to scare children into self-deportation.” Neha Desai, managing director of National Center for Youth Law, called the partnership “disturbing” and warned that MVM’s involvement could worsen family separations.

The Guardian

• “Accusations that ICE is ‘targeting’ and arresting children are FALSE and an attempt to demonize law enforcement.” — DHS spokesperson

The Guardian

• “MVM physically took thousands of children away from their parents and transferred them to shelters.” — Lawsuit filing

The Guardian

• “This all seems like a ploy to do two things: one, find either kids or their sponsors to arrest and deport, or to scare children into self-deportation.” — Michael Lukens, Amica Center for Immigrant Rights

The Guardian

• “We have seen MVM harm children in federal immigration custody in egregious ways for many years now.” — Neha Desai, National Center for Youth Law

The Guardian

An internal ICE document reviewed last year says the operation aims to deport children or pursue criminal cases against them or their sponsors, contradicting statements that present the checks as child-welfare measures. Contract’s financial terms and wellness-check count remain undisclosed. The lawsuit’s torture and enforced-disappearance claims oppose DHS’s denial of targeting.

The Guardian

The lawsuit continues, with some claims dismissed and others proceeding. Oversight bodies may review the program as the contract nears its 2027 expiration. Advocates demand transparency on the contract’s scope and funding.

The Guardian