Pregnant women report medical neglect in ICE detention, rights groups say

"Pregnant women have reported bleeding, miscarriages, being shackled and other instances of medical neglect while in US immigration custody, according to a group of prominent civil rights organizations. The groups which include the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and its Louisiana chapter, the National Immigration Project, Robert F Kennedy Human Rights, Sanctuary of the South and Sanctuary Now Abolition Project sent a letter to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Senate committees on Wednesday, describing interviews with more than a dozen women."

"ICE has issued detainers, arrested, and taken pregnant individuals into custody, even after they have informed officers of their pregnancy, in violation of agency guidance, the letter said. It noted in particular that ICE had detained several cases of pregnant individuals arising from domestic disputes. This practice endangers survivors of domestic violence, particularly pregnant individuals, who are more vulnerable to abuse and violence. Some of the pregnant women reported being shackled and held in other restraints during transport; detention in solitary confinement; delayed and substandard prenatal care; denial of prenatal vitamins; inadequate food; lack of interpretation and translation in medical encounters; medical care without informed consent; and medical neglect leading to dangerous infection after miscarriage, the letter said."

More than a dozen pregnant people detained by ICE reported bleeding, miscarriages, shackling, solitary confinement, delayed or substandard prenatal care, and denial of prenatal vitamins. Reported conditions included inadequate food, lack of interpretation in medical encounters, medical procedures without informed consent, and medical neglect that led to dangerous infection after miscarriage. ICE reportedly detained some pregnant individuals after being informed of their pregnancy and detained several cases arising from domestic disputes, increasing risk for survivors of domestic violence. Six women held in Basile, Louisiana and Lumpkin, Georgia detention centers experienced severe neglect; one detained woman described malnutrition and severe abdominal symptoms.

Read at www.theguardian.com