The Associated Press is reporting that immigrant rights advocates have
filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS),
claiming inhumane treatment of pregnant women housed in immigration detention
facility. The complaint, filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
and other groups, asks DHS to investigate the cases of 10 pregnant women
who were held at various facilities in California, Texas, and Washington.
Accordig to the complaint, Thomas Horman, who is now the acting director
of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) issued a memo last year stating
that as a general rule, ICE agents were not to detain pregnant women,
absence extraordinary circumstances or mandatory detention requirements.
Nonetheless, the complaint alleges that pregnant women were detained for
several weeks and not given proper medical treatment. In response, ICE
claims that it screens all women up to age 56 for pregnancy, and offers
prenatal care and access to medical specialists for pregnant women who
remain in ICE custody. In one case, a 31-year-old woman alleged that she
received no medical attention despite the fact that she was pregnant,
bleeding, and in pain. Although officials at an ICE detention facility
later confirmed her pregnancy, they found that the woman had miscarried
several days later. Another 28-year-old woman detained for 16 days at
a family detention center in Dilley, Texas, was incorrectly tested as
not being pregnant, although the woman was, in fact, pregnant. According
to ICE, 33 pregnant women are currently detained; immigration advocates,
however, claim that many more detained women could be pregnant. For example,
immigrant women may not disclose their pregnancies when detained if they
had been raped. Individuals who are detained and/or facing deportation
need an experienced California immigration attorney who can assist them
with this often complex process. We are here to stand up for the rights
of detained immigrants, including the special medical needs of pregnant
detainees. At
Landerholm Immigration, A.P.C., we know how to stand up for the rights of those who are legally entitled
to remain in the U.S.
Call us today
at (510) 756-4468 and schedule an appointment with one of our deportation
defense lawyers, and learn how we can assist you.
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