Democratic senators are demanding answers from the Department of Homeland Security over what they described as the "appalling and horrific treatment" of pregnant, postpartum and nursing women in immigration detention, citing cases of miscarriages, medical neglect and the use of shackles during pregnancy.
In a letter sent to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin and private contractors operating an ICE detention facility in Texas, Sens. Richard Blumenthal, Mazie Hirono and Jon Ossoff urged the administration to restore a policy presuming the release of pregnant women from immigration custody except in extraordinary circumstances.
"Recent reporting reveals the appalling and horrific treatment that pregnant, postpartum, and nursing individuals have endured in immigration detention during this Administration," the senators wrote.
The lawmakers cited reports of women suffering severe abdominal pain, vaginal bleeding and miscarriages while allegedly receiving limited or delayed medical care.
At Camp East Montana, an ICE detention facility in El Paso, Texas, the senators said one pregnant woman experiencing vaginal bleeding was reportedly given only water, prenatal vitamins and a temperature check. Another woman at a detention center in Arizona allegedly miscarried after officers dismissed her complaints and told her to "drink more water."
The letter also described cases in which pregnant detainees were shackled "around their bellies," while nursing mothers were allegedly separated from breastfeeding infants.
The renewed scrutiny comes days after Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove reintroduced the Pregnant Women in Custody Act, legislation that would establish nationwide standards for the treatment of pregnant women in federal custody, including ICE and Customs and Border Protection detention facilities.
"It's unacceptable that there are virtually no legal safeguards for pregnant women in federal custody," Kamlager-Dove said in a statement announcing the bill.
The legislation would prohibit shackling during labor, expand prenatal and postpartum healthcare requirements, increase oversight and improve data collection related to maternal health in detention facilities.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, 363 pregnant, postpartum or nursing immigrants were deported between January 1, 2025, and February 16, 2026. Sixteen miscarriages were recorded during that period. The senators said DHS estimated there were at least 126 pregnant women still in detention as of March.
The new allegations build on findings from a Senate investigation released last August by Ossoff documenting over 500 allegations of abuse in immigration detention, including 14 involving pregnant women. One woman in that report described being left to miscarry alone in a hospital room after days of heavy bleeding while detained.
Upon the report's release, then-DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said claims of substandard detention conditions were "false" and maintained that detainees receive medical screenings and emergency care.
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