A mother and child from El Salvador are apprehended by border patrol agents after crossing the southern U.S. border. (Photo: John Moore/Getty Images)
Jun 15, 2018
While outraged Americans across the country are calling their elected representatives and taking to the streets to protest the Trump administration's forcible separation of parents and children at the U.S.-Mexico border, intelligence and defense contractors are raking in millions thanks to the cruel practice.
According to reporting by theDaily Beast, the intelligence contractor MVM, Inc. won an $8 million five-year contract to "provide assistance" in detention centers for unaccompanied children, and has made $42.9 million in less than a year, transporting minors to centers in Texas.
"It is mind-blowing that those types of industries would be even considered with respect to the care of children." --Matthew Kolken, immigration attorney
Such facilities have become crowded with children in recent months, especially following the administration's unveiling of its new "zero tolerance" policy for undocumented immigrants who cross the southern border seeking asylum--under which adults are imprisoned while they await immigration trials and any children traveling with them are sent off to detention centers, sometimes thousands of miles away.
Previously, MVM worked with the CIA in the Iraq War, during which its employees were accused of "procuring and possessing unauthorized weapons and explosives." The company has also faced accusations of discrimination against employees who were Muslim and African-born.
"I'm guessing that in [MVM's] mission statement, one of the central components isn't the care of refugee children," immigration attorney Matthew Kolken told the Daily Beast. "It is mind-blowing that those types of industries would be even considered with respect to the care of children. They're not equipped to be able to do it. Would you want your child to be dropped off in their hands? I know I wouldn't."
Still, MVM as well as the defense contractor General Dynamics are rapidly hiring new employees to oversee the dozens of detention centers for children who have been taken from their parents or guardians after crossing the border.
Recently-advertised positions include compliance coordinators tasked with overseeing detention centers, youth care workers, and bilingual transport specialists.
One of the contractors providing services to children in tents/camps along the Texas border - Let them know this is unacceptable
Phone: (571)223-4500 https://t.co/vJUwkm3bek-- Heather Buen (@heatherkbuen) June 15, 2018
"It looks right now that the Trump administration's policies regarding immigration [are] proving to be a relatively lucrative area for private contractors," Neil Gordon, an investigator with the Project on Government Oversight, told the Daily Beast.
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
While outraged Americans across the country are calling their elected representatives and taking to the streets to protest the Trump administration's forcible separation of parents and children at the U.S.-Mexico border, intelligence and defense contractors are raking in millions thanks to the cruel practice.
According to reporting by theDaily Beast, the intelligence contractor MVM, Inc. won an $8 million five-year contract to "provide assistance" in detention centers for unaccompanied children, and has made $42.9 million in less than a year, transporting minors to centers in Texas.
"It is mind-blowing that those types of industries would be even considered with respect to the care of children." --Matthew Kolken, immigration attorney
Such facilities have become crowded with children in recent months, especially following the administration's unveiling of its new "zero tolerance" policy for undocumented immigrants who cross the southern border seeking asylum--under which adults are imprisoned while they await immigration trials and any children traveling with them are sent off to detention centers, sometimes thousands of miles away.
Previously, MVM worked with the CIA in the Iraq War, during which its employees were accused of "procuring and possessing unauthorized weapons and explosives." The company has also faced accusations of discrimination against employees who were Muslim and African-born.
"I'm guessing that in [MVM's] mission statement, one of the central components isn't the care of refugee children," immigration attorney Matthew Kolken told the Daily Beast. "It is mind-blowing that those types of industries would be even considered with respect to the care of children. They're not equipped to be able to do it. Would you want your child to be dropped off in their hands? I know I wouldn't."
Still, MVM as well as the defense contractor General Dynamics are rapidly hiring new employees to oversee the dozens of detention centers for children who have been taken from their parents or guardians after crossing the border.
Recently-advertised positions include compliance coordinators tasked with overseeing detention centers, youth care workers, and bilingual transport specialists.
One of the contractors providing services to children in tents/camps along the Texas border - Let them know this is unacceptable
Phone: (571)223-4500 https://t.co/vJUwkm3bek-- Heather Buen (@heatherkbuen) June 15, 2018
"It looks right now that the Trump administration's policies regarding immigration [are] proving to be a relatively lucrative area for private contractors," Neil Gordon, an investigator with the Project on Government Oversight, told the Daily Beast.
While outraged Americans across the country are calling their elected representatives and taking to the streets to protest the Trump administration's forcible separation of parents and children at the U.S.-Mexico border, intelligence and defense contractors are raking in millions thanks to the cruel practice.
According to reporting by theDaily Beast, the intelligence contractor MVM, Inc. won an $8 million five-year contract to "provide assistance" in detention centers for unaccompanied children, and has made $42.9 million in less than a year, transporting minors to centers in Texas.
"It is mind-blowing that those types of industries would be even considered with respect to the care of children." --Matthew Kolken, immigration attorney
Such facilities have become crowded with children in recent months, especially following the administration's unveiling of its new "zero tolerance" policy for undocumented immigrants who cross the southern border seeking asylum--under which adults are imprisoned while they await immigration trials and any children traveling with them are sent off to detention centers, sometimes thousands of miles away.
Previously, MVM worked with the CIA in the Iraq War, during which its employees were accused of "procuring and possessing unauthorized weapons and explosives." The company has also faced accusations of discrimination against employees who were Muslim and African-born.
"I'm guessing that in [MVM's] mission statement, one of the central components isn't the care of refugee children," immigration attorney Matthew Kolken told the Daily Beast. "It is mind-blowing that those types of industries would be even considered with respect to the care of children. They're not equipped to be able to do it. Would you want your child to be dropped off in their hands? I know I wouldn't."
Still, MVM as well as the defense contractor General Dynamics are rapidly hiring new employees to oversee the dozens of detention centers for children who have been taken from their parents or guardians after crossing the border.
Recently-advertised positions include compliance coordinators tasked with overseeing detention centers, youth care workers, and bilingual transport specialists.
One of the contractors providing services to children in tents/camps along the Texas border - Let them know this is unacceptable
Phone: (571)223-4500 https://t.co/vJUwkm3bek-- Heather Buen (@heatherkbuen) June 15, 2018
"It looks right now that the Trump administration's policies regarding immigration [are] proving to be a relatively lucrative area for private contractors," Neil Gordon, an investigator with the Project on Government Oversight, told the Daily Beast.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.