The San Diego Union-Tribune is reporting that immigration officials have
released a 28-year-old pregnant woman who feared miscarriage due to her
medical history of miscarriage, lack of prenatal care, forced work activities,
and the conditions of the detention center where she was housed. The woman
had been planning to self-deport to Mexico in order to protect herself
and her unborn child. Prior to her release, the American Civil Liberties
Union and MomsRising had called for the woman’s release, citing
her medical history and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)’s
usual policy of releasing pregnant women. The woman spent about 45 days
at Otay Mesa Detention Center before being released. ICE released the
woman on an order of supervision while her application for a U-visa is
pending. A U-visa is available only for victims of certain crimes. This
woman is a domestic violence victim whose ex-husband was deported after
she reported him to police. This is somewhat of an unusual move by ICE,
which generally does not issue an order of supervision after someone has
agreed to be deported. However, ICE’s policy is to release pregnant
women from detention unless there are extraordinary circumstances or a
situation that calls for mandatory detention. Even if ICE finds that a
pregnant woman should remain in detention, it must revisit that decision
periodically. The ACLU argued that no such circumstances existed with
respect to the woman at issue; the woman has no criminal history and is
not a flight risk, due to her U.S. citizen family. ICE allegedly targeted
the woman because she was deported once before, in 2007. If the woman
does not succeed in her application for a U-visa, ICE will deport her
to her native country. At Landerholm Immigration, A.P.C., we are actively
monitoring the treatment of detained immigrants, including pregnant women,
and detention conditions under this administration. No matter what the
situation may be, we are dedicated to protecting the rights of detained
noncitizens and working toward their release from detention. We know how
to evaluate your case, explore your options, and provide you with the
strongest defense against removal possible. Contact your California deportation
defense attorneys today and set up an appointment to speak with our legal team.
Categories:
As of February 2021, we are open again and accepting in-office consultations.
If you want to know more about the Biden's Proposed Immigration Reform, watch our video!