US moving pregnant immigrant girls to Texas to avoid providing abortions, critics say

"When a pregnant child is moved to Texas, as long as she is in Texas, she can't access an abortion without a federal official needing to deny her an abortion. It's a choice to ensure zero abortions."

"The total disregard for the rights of pregnant and nursing detainees is a dramatic violation of international law and public health practices ensuring consensual medical treatment."

"Unaccompanied minors who lack immigration documentation are at high risk for trafficking and other forms of harm, so they fall under the care of the office of refugee resettlement (ORR), which previously had facilities across the country capable of caring for children under the age of 18 who are pregnant."

Unaccompanied immigrant children, including those as young as 13 and pregnant from rape, are being transferred to a single facility in San Benito, Texas. This consolidation prevents access to abortion services, as Texas bans abortion in nearly all circumstances, including cases of rape and incest. The Office of Refugee Resettlement previously maintained facilities across multiple states capable of serving pregnant minors. The strategic placement in Texas effectively denies reproductive healthcare choices to vulnerable detainees. This practice amplifies existing concerns about inadequate reproductive healthcare in immigration detention, including allegations of forced sterilization, separation of nursing parents from infants, and lack of appropriate medical treatment. Critics characterize this as a violation of international law and public health standards requiring consensual medical treatment.

Read at www.theguardian.com