A recent report from Buzzfeed News reveals alarming conditions for pregnant women in immigration detention centers across the United States. Women experiencing miscarriages have reportedly been denied essential medical care in at least six facilities, highlighting a systemic issue that has emerged since the change in administration.
According to testimonies from affected women, medical professionals, and legal advocates, these women face not only a lack of medical attention but also physical and psychological abuse. Virginia Sushila Schwerin, a midwife and nurse at a clinic near the border, emphasized the unique and critical needs of pregnant detainees, stating, “This is a high-risk group, and it’s inhumane to detain them.”
One woman, referred to as Maria, shared her harrowing experience of bleeding heavily and pleading for help, only to be told by a staff member that the facility was not a hospital and they were not equipped to assist her. “I realized I was losing my baby. I was staining everything,” Maria recounted. She had come to the U.S. seeking a safer life for her family, but her pregnancy ended tragically without any medical support during her miscarriage.
Under the Obama administration, protocols were established to limit the detention of pregnant women. However, these rules were reversed by the Trump administration, which has led to the detention of women who are not yet in their third trimester. New guidelines were introduced requiring ICE to ensure that pregnant detainees receive appropriate medical care, including transfers to facilities capable of offering necessary treatment. Unfortunately, the Buzzfeed report indicates that these guidelines are frequently ignored, with women being shackled during transfers and denied medical care even in emergencies.
Medical professionals working in these facilities have reported witnessing disturbing abuses. Incidents include a woman in her late stages of pregnancy falling onto her stomach and being denied hospital access, as well as women in the midst of miscarriages receiving no care. Shackling pregnant women around their bellies poses serious risks, as Dr. Anjani Kolahi, an obstetrics physician, pointed out that falls or jostling can endanger both the mother and child.
Although ICE lacks current data on the number of pregnant women in detention, they acknowledged that 590 were held between December 2017 and April 2018. Another detainee, Laura Garcia, described the trauma of being denied medical care while experiencing bleeding, leading to the loss of her baby. “It’s a punishment I will never forget,” she expressed.
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In summary, the report sheds light on the dire circumstances faced by pregnant women in immigration detention, emphasizing the urgent need for reform and humane treatment of vulnerable populations.
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