U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is facing renewed scrutiny after Democratic lawmakers accused the agency of subjecting pregnant migrant women to dangerous and degrading conditions in detention facilities, including delayed medical treatment, shackling during pregnancy and miscarriages allegedly occurring without adequate care.
In a sharply worded letter sent to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin and private contractors operating a detention facility in Texas, Senators Richard Blumenthal, Mazie Hirono and Jon Ossoff called for the reinstatement of policies that generally favored the release of pregnant women from immigration detention except under extraordinary circumstances.
"Recent reporting reveals the appalling and horrific treatment that pregnant, postpartum, and nursing individuals have endured in immigration detention during this Administration," the senators wrote.
The lawmakers cited multiple allegations involving women who reportedly suffered severe abdominal pain, vaginal bleeding and pregnancy complications while receiving limited or delayed access to medical attention inside ICE facilities.
One case described in the letter involved a pregnant detainee at Camp East Montana in El Paso, Texas, who allegedly experienced vaginal bleeding but was reportedly given only water, prenatal vitamins and a temperature check. Another woman detained in Arizona allegedly miscarried after officers dismissed her symptoms and instructed her to "drink more water," according to the senators.
The allegations also extended beyond medical care. The letter claimed some pregnant detainees were shackled "around their bellies," while nursing mothers were allegedly separated from breastfeeding infants during detention.
The accusations arrive as immigration enforcement remains a central pillar of the Trump administration's domestic agenda, with detention numbers rising sharply over the past year. Human-rights advocates and medical professionals have increasingly warned that immigration facilities are ill-equipped to manage complex maternal healthcare needs, particularly for high-risk pregnancies and postpartum recovery.
The controversy has also revived debate in Congress over federal standards governing the treatment of pregnant detainees. Last week, Representative Sydney Kamlager-Dove reintroduced the Pregnant Women in Custody Act, legislation aimed at establishing nationwide rules for the treatment of pregnant women held by federal agencies, including ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
"It's unacceptable that there are virtually no legal safeguards for pregnant women in federal custody," Kamlager-Dove said while announcing the legislation.
According to congressional summaries, the proposed bill would:
- Ban shackling during labor and childbirth
- Expand prenatal and postpartum healthcare requirements
- Increase federal oversight of detention facilities
- Improve reporting and data collection on maternal health incidents
The lawmakers' letter also referenced newly disclosed Department of Homeland Security statistics showing that 363 pregnant, postpartum or nursing immigrants were deported between Jan. 1, 2025, and Feb. 16, 2026. During that same period, 16 miscarriages were reportedly recorded among detainees.
The senators further stated DHS estimated at least 126 pregnant women remained in detention as of March.
The latest allegations build on findings from a Senate investigation led by Ossoff last year that documented more than 500 allegations of abuse and mistreatment in immigration detention centers, including 14 cases involving pregnant women. One detainee cited in that investigation described miscarrying alone in a hospital room after enduring days of heavy bleeding while in custody.
At the time, then-DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin rejected accusations that detention conditions were inadequate. McLaughlin said claims of substandard treatment were "false" and maintained detainees receive medical screenings and emergency care when necessary.
