Women’s Refugee Commission Detention Pregnancy Tracker, A Critical Tool for Documenting the Treatment of Pregnant Women in Immigration Detention
The U.S. immigration detention system is the largest in U.S. history and will only continue to grow as ICE receives a windfall of $45 billion for immigrant detention alone. Within this ever-increasing population, pregnant, postpartum, and nursing women represent one of the most vulnerable groups, requiring specialized medical care that detention facilities are often ill-equipped to provide. ICE’s own policies state that pregnant women should not normally be detained. But reports of many cases to the contrary, as well as increased secrecy about pregnant women's experiences inside detention centers, led the Women’s Refugee Commission to launch a new Detention Pregnancy Tracker.
In response to the informational and health care crisis, the Women's Refugee Commission created a Detention Pregnancy Tracker and invites health care professionals, attorneys, clergy, detention center staff, advocates, and family members to report cases so that the public can better understand the scope and impact of the treatment of detained pregnant, postpartum, and lactating women. We need to work together to shine a light on what is happening in these facilities and fight for women to receive better treatment. This tracker may be the only way that these stories ever see the light of day.
If you have seen a pregnant, postpartum, or lactating woman in immigration custody, please let the Women's Refugee Commission know by submitting a report through the Detention Pregnancy Tracker. Please share widely.
Please send all media requests and other inquiries to Zain Lakhani, Director of Migrant Rights and Justice at the Women's Refugee Commission.
