Washington, DC – This week, Congresswoman Julia Brownley (CA-26) joined her Democratic Women’s Caucus colleagues in a letter demanding the urgent release and investigation of pregnant, postpartum, and nursing women currently detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in contradiction to Federal regulations. The Members expressed their extreme concern to ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons and U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem after hearing reports of pregnant women detained and mistreated in several ICE facilities in Illinois, Louisiana, and Georgia.
ICE is instructed not to detain pregnant, postpartum, or nursing individuals under its own policy. However, there have been multiple reports of pregnant and nursing women shackled, placed in solitary confinement, or deprived of proper prenatal or lactation care.
The Members urged ICE to immediately release pregnant women in detention:
“The health and safety of pregnant women should not be threatened as a result of the administration choosing not to adhere to Federal regulations,” the Members wrote. “That is why we urge the administration to fully comply with the existing regulations and immediately correct the violations… By detaining vulnerable women in appalling conditions while pregnant, you are subjecting both the pregnant individual and the unborn child to significant risks and possible death. We urge the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and ICE to follow its own rules and regulations on detention of pregnant women and demand their humane treatment.”
The letter was also signed by Representatives Yassamin Ansari, Becca Balint, Nanette Barragán, Joyce Beatty, Suzanne Bonamici, André Carson, Troy Carter, Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, Judy Chu, Yvette Clarke, Emanuel Cleaver, Angie Craig, Jasmine Crockett, Danny Davis, Diana DeGette, Veronica Escobar, Valerie Foushee, Lois Frankel, Laura Friedman, Jesús García, Sylvia Garcia, Jahana Hayes, Val Hoyle, Glenn Ivey, Pramila Jayapal, Henry Johnson, Julie Johnson, Sydney Kamlager-Dove, Robin Kelly, Ro Khanna, Summer Lee, Teresa Leger Fernandez, Zoe Lofgren, Lucy McBath, Jennifer McClellan, James McGovern, LaMonica McIver, Gwen Moore, Kelly Morrison, Eleanor Norton, Mike Quigley, Delia Ramirez, Emily Randall, Deborah Ross, Andrea Salinas, Janice Schakowsky, Terri Sewell, Lateefah Simon, Melanie Stansbury, Shri Thanedar, Dina Titus, Rashida Tlaib, Norma Torres, Juan Vargas, Nydia Velázquez, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Bonnie Watson Coleman, Nikema Williams, and Frederica Wilson.
The full letter can be found here and below:
November 17, 2025
Todd Lyons
Acting Director
Immigration and Customs Enforcement 500 12ᵗʰ St SW
Washington, DC 20536
Dear Acting Director Lyons:
As members of the Democratic Women’s Caucus and House Democratic Caucus, we write with extreme concerns about the treatment of pregnant women in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities. Under ICE Directive 11032.4, ICE is instructed to not detain pregnant, postpartum, or nursing individuals for an administrative violation of immigration unless “release is prohibited by law or exceptional circumstances exist.” Federal regulations also require the release of pregnant women from custody via parole. Despite our urgent appeal to the administration in July regarding the safety of pregnant women in ICE custody, we have continued to receive numerous reports of pregnant women who have been detained under unacceptable treatment without clear exceptional circumstances, such as the deeply concerning reports out of the Basile, Louisiana (“Basile”), the Lumpkin, Georgia (“Stewart”) ICE and credible report that multiple pregnant women have been detained at Broadview, IL detention centers. At the detention centers, it was reported that pregnant women were being shackled, locked in restraints, or placed in solitary confinement. They were deprived of prenatal, pregnancy, postpartum, lactation, and miscarriage care, as well as interpretative services, and informed consent for medical services and procedures. The health and safety of pregnant women should not be threatened as a result of the administration choosing not to adhere to Federal regulations. That is why we urge the administration to fully comply with the existing regulations and immediately correct the violations.
It is well documented that lack of access to appropriate prenatal and post-partum care leads to significantly worse maternal and infant health outcomes. In several pregnancy outcome studies, women who were pregnant and gave birth while in custody had increased miscarriage rates, increased premature birth rates, and increased rates of medically unnecessary C-sections compared to the national non-incarcerated average, leading to short- and long-term health problems for both mothers and babies. Minimum standards for prenatal care in correctional settings are all similar from the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG), the Federal Bureau of Prisons, and the National Commission on Correctional Health Care, which include initial pregnancy testing, testing and treatment for substance use, HIV care, depression screening and treatment, access to appropriate diet and vitamins, delivery in a licensed hospital, and postpartum contraception. From the recent reports, not only are pregnant women being detained against Federal regulations in ICE facilities, but they are also being shackled while experiencing miscarriage, recovering from birth, and while in transit to the hospital. The treatment of pregnant women in ICE facilities is cruel and inhumane.
By detaining vulnerable women in appalling conditions while pregnant, you are subjecting both the pregnant individual and the pregnancy to significant risks and possible death. We urge the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and ICE to follow its own rules and regulations on detention of pregnant women and demand their humane treatment. Furthermore, we request a response to the following questions and asks within 45 days of receipt of this letter:
- Immediately conduct a review to identify and release all pregnant detainees who are not a security risk in ICE custody to ensure the agency abides by federal regulations and directives to not “detain, arrest, or take into custody” women who are pregnant, postpartum, or nursing.
- What processes and trainings do you have in place to ensure the release and/or provision of timely medical care, in accordance with community standards of care, to pregnant, postpartum, and nursing women in ICE custody?
- Provide a complete breakdown of the following metrics, by facility for the past year, including:
- the number of pregnant women at intake and the women determined to be pregnant at first medical screening;
- the number of births (live and stillbirths) that occurred while in custody;
- the number of medical incidents of pregnant women (e.g., maternal or fetal distress, miscarriage, stillbirth, emergency obstetric care) reported by detainees;
- the number of incidents where pregnant women were placed in restraints or shackles;
- the number of pregnant women placed in any form of segregation; and
- the number and outcome of internal investigations, disciplinary actions, or contractor “corrective action plans” related to the mistreatment or medical neglect of pregnant women in custody.
- Explain what remedial or preventive benchmarks you use to monitor pregnant women’s health and safety in detention, and how compliance is verified independently.
The inhumane treatment of pregnant women by the administration is shameful. As members of the Democratic Women’s Caucus, we will continue to fight for the safety of all women. We urge your immediate attention to this matter and anticipate a swift and substantive reply.
CC: Kristi Noem, Secretary, Department of Homeland Security; Field Office Directors of the New Orleans and Atlanta ICE Field Offices
###
Issues: 119th Congress, Immigration