"Have you noticed that I kept looking back, and I have been looking and seeing if there are any cars following us? We're in Minnesota, where Fernanda is trying to reach pregnant women hiding from ICE. Because the last thing that I heard is that ICE is targeting people that are dropping off food. Fernanda works as a midwife, but on her days off, she volunteers to bring food and baby supplies to expecting moms like Ana, an undocumented single mother of two from Mexico."
"After seeing agents near her clinic in early January, Ana switched to virtual appointments in her last weeks of pregnancy. My biggest worry: We are going to miss something, that there's going to be babies that are going to be too small, moms with diabetes. I fear that moms will develop high blood pressure and end up with seizures. Now, at 35 weeks pregnant, Ana is reconsidering her birth plan."
Federal immigration agents have appeared in and around at least 11 Minnesota medical centers, prompting fear among pregnant undocumented patients. Expecting mothers are switching to virtual prenatal appointments and avoiding clinics to reduce risk of detention. Community midwives and volunteers are delivering food and baby supplies to pregnant women hiding from immigration authorities. Health providers worry that missed in-person care will leave conditions like fetal growth restriction, diabetes, and pregnancy-related hypertension undetected, increasing maternal and fetal risks. A 2021 ICE policy nominally exempts pregnant, postpartum, and nursing mothers from detention except in exceptional circumstances, yet recent detentions of pregnant women have occurred.
Read at www.nytimes.com
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