Pregnant women question US immigration law

On Behalf of | Jul 10, 2018 | U.s. Immigration Law |

Many women in Florida or elsewhere who have crossed U.S. borders without proper paperwork in their possession wind up being detained. Some happen to be pregnant at the time. In a recent telephone conversation with a news reporter, a 23-year-old woman from El Salvador said she thought U.S. immigration law would allow her to seek a better life for herself and the baby she was carrying when she arrived in the United States. She says, instead, she landed in an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center, where she miscarried, which she claims was because ICE officers refused to provide her with appropriate medical care when she requested it. 

The woman explained that she began cramping and bleeding soon after being detained. She says she begged immigration officials for help. She says they ignored her requests, allegedly telling her the facility was not a hospital and they were not doctors. The young woman told of lying alone for days as a full miscarriage took place.  

It is reportedly not the first time something like this has happened in a U.S. immigration detention center. Women in numerous detention centers in various states have also shared stories of medical neglect, saying lack of proper medical attention directly caused them to lose their pregnancies. Sadly, one woman said she was at least eight months pregnant when she suffered a fall, landing directly on her belly but was still denied medical attention.  

Current U.S. immigration law says that immigrant women in Florida and all other states may be detained up to their third trimesters. ICE officials have countered the accusations by stating that all pregnant detainees are offered appropriate prenatal and postnatal care. If someone is not receiving such care or has encountered other immigration-related legal challenges in detention, a request for assistance can be made by reaching out for experienced legal support.  

Archives

FindLaw Network