BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Women detained by U.S. immigration agents while pregnant have come forward with claims of inadequate medical care, urging the Biden administration to end the practice of holding expectant mothers in federal detention facilities.
The letter delivered to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) marks part of a wider effort by Democrats and immigrant rights organizations to shine a light on what they describe as the mistreatment of pregnant women amid the Trump administration's immigration policies.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has defended the standard of care for pregnant detainees, asserting they receive regular prenatal check-ups and nutritional assistance. However, the agency has not provided specific numbers regarding the population of pregnant women in detention, as requested by Democratic lawmakers.
The ACLU's correspondence includes harrowing accounts from women who reported being shackled during transport, confined in solitary for days, and having insufficient access to food and water while detained in facilities located in Louisiana and Georgia.
In recent meetings with the ACLU, over a dozen pregnant women described “grave” concerns about their treatment. They reported lacking translation services during medical visits and experiencing neglect in their care. Some women suffered severe health issues as a direct consequence of inadequate medical attention.
In an interview, one woman recounted being handcuffed throughout a five-hour journey to Louisiana, during which she experienced dizziness and vaginal bleeding. She voiced her frustration at the perception that she was a flight risk while pregnant, questioning how she could escape given her condition.
The conditions described by these women raise alarm, particularly the inadequate provision of diets suitable for pregnant women, prompting calls for deeper investigations into the treatment of pregnant detainees. Senate Democrats have previously contacted the Department of Homeland Security, calling for changes to the handling of pregnant women, postpartum individuals, and nursing mothers in ICE custody.
Despite the stated rarity of detaining pregnant women, advocates continue to press for stronger oversight, arguing that the current practices must not only comply with legal standards but also with ethical considerations for the vulnerable populations affected.
