BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — A group of pregnant women taken into custody by U.S. immigration officials has come forward with severe allegations of mistreatment while being held. In a letter addressed to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), these women claim they received inadequate medical care amid their pregnancies, urging the Biden administration to halt the detention of expectant mothers.
The letter is part of a larger initiative by immigrant rights activists and lawmakers to highlight the alleged abuse faced by pregnant detainees. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), however, defends its policies, asserting that pregnant detainees receive regular prenatal care and nutritional support, though specific statistics on those detained were not provided.
The ACLU’s correspondence includes testimonies from women who reported being shackled during transport, isolated in solitary confinement, and lacking proper access to food and hydration. One woman detailed her experience of a miscarriage while in custody, further emphasizing the medical neglect faced.
In interviews, women shared harrowing stories, including one who described feeling like she was a hostage during her multi-hour flight to Louisiana while restrained in handcuffs. Another emphasized the dire conditions, complaining about the food quality and that detainees had to “beg” for basic necessities such as bath tissue.
The ACLU is advocating for an investigation into the treatment of pregnant detainees, echoing concerns previously expressed by Senate Democrats regarding the treatment of women in ICE custody. Despite the DHS's statements claiming that such detentions are rare and subject to additional scrutiny, lawmakers continue to press for concise data on the presence and treatment of pregnant women in these facilities.
The letter is part of a larger initiative by immigrant rights activists and lawmakers to highlight the alleged abuse faced by pregnant detainees. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), however, defends its policies, asserting that pregnant detainees receive regular prenatal care and nutritional support, though specific statistics on those detained were not provided.
The ACLU’s correspondence includes testimonies from women who reported being shackled during transport, isolated in solitary confinement, and lacking proper access to food and hydration. One woman detailed her experience of a miscarriage while in custody, further emphasizing the medical neglect faced.
In interviews, women shared harrowing stories, including one who described feeling like she was a hostage during her multi-hour flight to Louisiana while restrained in handcuffs. Another emphasized the dire conditions, complaining about the food quality and that detainees had to “beg” for basic necessities such as bath tissue.
The ACLU is advocating for an investigation into the treatment of pregnant detainees, echoing concerns previously expressed by Senate Democrats regarding the treatment of women in ICE custody. Despite the DHS's statements claiming that such detentions are rare and subject to additional scrutiny, lawmakers continue to press for concise data on the presence and treatment of pregnant women in these facilities.
