On October 22, 2025, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) intensified its campaign against the detention of pregnant women in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities, particularly those located in Louisiana and Georgia. The group sent a letter to ICE officials and the Trump administration, urging them to end the practice of holding expectant mothers in federal detention centers, citing a series of troubling allegations about mistreatment and inadequate care.
The ACLU’s letter, as reported by ABC and the Associated Press, paints a stark picture: pregnant detainees have described being shackled during transport, placed in solitary confinement for days, and deprived of sufficient food and water. Over the past five months, the ACLU says it has met with more than a dozen women who were pregnant while in ICE custody—some of whom suffered miscarriages while detained. These meetings, according to the ACLU, revealed "gravely troubling experiences," including a lack of translation services during medical encounters and what the organization characterizes as medical neglect. In one particularly harrowing account, a woman suffered a "severe" infection after her miscarriage, allegedly due to inadequate medical attention while detained.
One woman, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity fearing retaliation in her ongoing immigration case, recounted her ordeal in vivid detail. She was kept in handcuffs during a five-hour transport to Louisiana that included two plane rides. She described feeling as if she had been kidnapped, experiencing dizziness, nausea, and vaginal bleeding throughout the journey. The woman said that when she questioned the necessity of the restraints, an officer replied that he worried she might escape. "How am I going to escape if I’m pregnant?" she recalled asking. After her release, she gave birth, but the trauma of her detention experience lingers.
According to the ACLU, special diets were not offered to pregnant women in detention, and the food provided was described as "horrible." Detainees, the letter alleges, had to "beg" for basic necessities such as water and toilet paper. These claims have fueled growing outrage among immigrant rights groups and Democratic lawmakers, who have been pressing for greater transparency and reform in ICE’s treatment of vulnerable detainees.
The ACLU’s letter is just the latest salvo in a broader campaign to draw attention to the plight of pregnant women in federal immigration detention. In September 2025, Senate Democrats sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, expressing deep concern about the "prevalence and treatment" of pregnant, postpartum, and nursing women in ICE custody. The senators demanded that the agency cease detaining such individuals except under "exceptional circumstances." They also noted that obtaining accurate information about the number of pregnant women in ICE detention has proven difficult, with the agency declining to provide figures despite repeated requests.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), for its part, has defended its practices. In an August 2025 press release, DHS stated that the detention of pregnant women is "rare" and subject to "elevated oversight and review." The agency asserted that pregnant detainees "receive regular prenatal visits, mental health services, nutritional support, and accommodations aligned with community standards of care." DHS has also maintained that it provides appropriate translation services and medical attention to all detainees, though immigrant rights groups and Democratic lawmakers remain skeptical, citing the firsthand accounts collected by the ACLU and others.
This debate is unfolding against the backdrop of the Trump administration’s broader immigration crackdown, which has seen a marked increase in detentions and a hardening of enforcement policies. Critics argue that the administration’s approach has led to systemic neglect of vulnerable populations, including pregnant women, who require specialized care and support. Proponents of the administration’s policies, however, argue that ICE is simply enforcing the law and that safeguards are in place to ensure the well-being of all detainees.
The lack of clear data about how many pregnant women are currently in ICE custody has only fueled the controversy. Democratic lawmakers have repeatedly called for greater transparency, arguing that without reliable figures, it is impossible to assess the true scale of the problem or to hold the agency accountable for its treatment of detainees. "We need to know how many pregnant women are being held and under what conditions," one senator stated in the September letter, echoing a sentiment shared by many advocates.
Meanwhile, the stories emerging from ICE facilities in Louisiana and Georgia continue to raise alarms. The ACLU’s letter includes multiple accounts of women being shackled, placed in solitary confinement, and denied adequate food and water. In several cases, women reported miscarriages that they believe were the result of the stress and inadequate care they experienced while detained. One woman described being left in solitary confinement for multiple days, with little access to medical care or basic necessities.
According to the ACLU, these experiences are not isolated incidents but indicative of a broader pattern of neglect and mistreatment. The organization has called for an independent investigation into the arrest and treatment of pregnant detainees and for the immediate release of all expectant mothers currently in ICE custody. "Pregnant women should not be held in detention centers where they are at risk of harm," the ACLU’s letter states unequivocally.
Supporters of the administration’s policies counter that ICE’s procedures are in line with community standards and that the agency is committed to safeguarding the health and well-being of all detainees. They point to the DHS’s assurances of regular prenatal visits and nutritional support, as well as the claim that detention of pregnant women is rare and subject to heightened oversight. Still, the accounts documented by the ACLU and the ongoing calls for reform suggest that, at a minimum, there is a significant gap between official policy and the lived experiences of those in detention.
As the debate continues, advocates for immigrant rights vow to keep pressing for change. They argue that the stories emerging from ICE facilities demand urgent action and that the health and safety of pregnant women should be a top priority, regardless of immigration status. With both sides holding firm, the issue is likely to remain a flashpoint in the broader conversation about immigration enforcement and human rights in the United States.
The question of how best to care for pregnant detainees—balancing enforcement with compassion and medical necessity—remains unresolved. But as the ACLU’s letter and the testimonies of affected women make clear, the stakes are high, and the outcome will have real consequences for some of the most vulnerable individuals caught up in the nation’s immigration system.
