A Guatemalan mother detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was forced to deliver her stillborn baby after reportedly being denied urgent medical care while in custody.
Iris Dayana Monterroso-Lemus, 38, had been transferred multiple times across US states before arriving at Louisiana's Richwood Correctional Center, where she says her repeated pleas for help were ignored for days.
Now back in Guatemala and separated from her partner and six children, Iris has spoken out about the nightmare she endured.
'A Nightmare From the Start'
Monterroso-Lemus was arrested in mid-March by local police in Lenoir City, Tennessee, over a missed court date related to a custody case. Her partner, Gary Bivens, posted bail immediately, but ICE had already placed a detainer on her, preventing her release.
'That's when the nightmare started,' Bivens said.
Instead of returning to her family, Iris was transferred through multiple states—Illinois, Tennessee, Alabama—before arriving in Louisiana in early April, four to five months pregnant.
Despite her condition, she was kept in poor living conditions and claims she was constantly hungry. Meals were often inedible, sometimes infested with cockroaches.
As her pregnancy progressed, Iris began experiencing severe pain and requested medical help, but she says her concerns were repeatedly dismissed.
Medical Neglect Leads to Stillbirth
'I begged them to take me to the hospital,' she said. 'I told them something was wrong, but no one listened.'
According to Monterroso-Lemus, she was never given a proper medical evaluation. Requests for an ultrasound were ignored. She says officials monitored her blood pressure and urine but did not offer any prenatal care. She was given 12 different pills without explanation, which she believes worsened her condition.
When the pain became unbearable, she claims she again asked to see a doctor but was told to wait for her deportation flight. Her condition deteriorated rapidly. Records from Ochsner LSU Health later confirmed she had no foetal movement and was experiencing severe abdominal pain.
After three days of worsening symptoms, she was taken to hospital and gave birth to a stillborn baby on 29 April while under armed guard.
'He was inside me for three days, already dead,' she said. 'I wasn't even allowed to call Gary.'
A Family Torn Apart
Bivens, devastated, said he only learned of the stillbirth from another detainee. A social worker later contacted him to ask what to do with the baby's remains. In shock, he agreed to cremation and was later charged for shipping the ashes.
'It was disrespectful, like they were trying to rush it,' Bivens said. 'I don't even want to be in this country anymore. I lost all respect for every part of this system.'
Iris, meanwhile, was deported soon after the delivery. She was forced to sign legal papers without understanding them and returned to Guatemala with nothing but grief and unanswered questions. She now relies on financial support from Bivens and donations via a GoFundMe campaign.
An Escalating Crisis Under Trump's Immigration Crackdown
Her story comes amid a renewed crackdown on undocumented migrants under the Trump administration. Despite pledges to target criminals, ICE data shows that 59% of arrests since January 2025 have involved non-criminals.
Weekly arrests now average 4,000—far higher than the 1,000 under Trump's first term or the 250 under Biden.
Facilities like Richwood have faced prior allegations of neglect and abuse. Iris's case, advocates warn, is not isolated.
Representative Pramila Jayapal called the situation 'absolutely disgusting' in a post on X, demanding accountability.
For Monterroso-Lemus, the pain remains fresh. 'I just wanted help for my baby,' she said. 'Instead, I lost everything.'
