Open letter to Trump Administration about ICE detention of pregnant women
- Feb 12
- 7 min read
Updated: Feb 23
Re: Protections for Pregnant, Postpartum, and Nursing Women in Immigration Custody
Dear President Trump, Secretary Noem, and Acting Director Lyons:
We write as pro-life organizations to urge the immediate reinstatement and enforcement of federal protections that prevent the detention of pregnant, postpartum, and nursing women, except in truly exceptional circumstances. Pregnancy and early postpartum are medical states that require care that immigration detention facilities are structurally unable to provide.
Existing policy and its erosion
In 2016, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) adopted a presumption of release for pregnant women unless "extraordinary circumstances" required detention. That presumption was formally ended on December 14, 2017.[1] In July 2021, ICE issued new guidance stating that, absent narrow exceptions, ICE should not arrest or detain individuals known to be pregnant, postpartum, or nursing.[2]
Although this 2021 guidance has not been publicly rescinded, multiple reports indicate it is no longer being followed in practice.[3] ICE's own web materials describing these protections have been labeled "archived" and "not reflective of current practice".
Medical consensus
National medical organizations have warned that detaining pregnant women places both maternal and fetal health at serious risk. In a joint letter, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the American Academy of Family Physicians stated that ending presumptive release for pregnant detainees "puts the health of women and adolescents and their pregnancies at great risk."[4]
Detention facilities routinely lack obstetric specialists, continuity of prenatal care, appropriate nutrition, and timely access to emergency treatment.[5] The physiological stress of detention itself is a known risk factor for pregnancy complications, preterm labor, and adverse neonatal outcomes.[6]
Documented impact
When ICE ended its presumption of release in 2017, detentions of pregnant women rose sharply. According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office, ICE detained 1,377 pregnant women in 2016 and 2,094 in 2018, an increase of approximately 52 percent.[7]
Medical advocacy groups and investigative reporting have documented prolonged detention of women with high-risk pregnancies, delayed emergency treatment, miscarriages, and stillbirths.[8] Simply stated, unborn children are dying because of this policy. These outcomes are not anomalies. They are the result of placing pregnant women in systems designed for incarceration, not medical care.
Our request
We respectfully urge your administration to:
Formally reinstate and enforce the July 2021 ICE guidance prohibiting the arrest and detention of individuals known to be pregnant, postpartum, or nursing, except where release is legally prohibited or exceptional circumstances exist (such as national security or imminent risk of harm).
Require ICE field offices to obtain headquarters-level approval before detaining any pregnant, postpartum, or nursing woman.
Restore transparency by publishing semi-annual data on the number of pregnant, postpartum, and nursing women in ICE custody and the justification for each detention, as previously required by Congress.
Review all current cases and immediately release pregnant, postpartum, and nursing women who do not pose a genuine security threat.
Alternatives to detention, such as monitoring, check-ins, and community-based supervision, are well established, far less costly, and significantly more humane. These mechanisms preserve immigration enforcement while safeguarding maternal, fetal, and infant health.
Detaining pregnant and nursing women is not a necessary feature of immigration policy. Reinstating protections for pregnant, postpartum, and nursing women reflects sound medical judgment and responsible governance.
We respectfully urge you to act.
Sincerely,
Lauren Pope
Executive Director
Rehumanize International
Monica Snyder
Executive Director
Secular Pro-life
Lila Rose
Founder and President
Live Action
Scott Baker
VP of Public Affairs
Choose Life Coalition
Josh Brahm
President & Co-Founder
Equal Rights Institute
Terrisa Bukovinac
Founder & CEO
Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising
Carol Crossed
Founder and Board of Directors
Feminists Choosing Life of New York
Kristen Day
Executive Director
Democrats for Life
Catherine Glenn Foster, MA JD
President & CEO
First Rights Global
Karen Garnett
Vice President of National Expansion
Cogency Strategic
Levi Hart
CEO
Reach Reproductive Health
Destiny Herndon-De La Rosa
Founder & President
New Wave Feminists
Hayden Laye
Founder & Director
Pro-Life Greenville (SC)
Maria McFadden Maffucci
Editor in Chief
Human Life Review
Monica Migliorino Miller, PhD
President
Citizens for a Pro-Life Society
Melissa Ohden
Founder & CEO
Abortion Survivors Network
Nelly Roach
CEO
Choose Life
Eric J Scheidler
Executive Director
Pro-Life Action League
Jack Ternan
Chairman
American Solidarity Party
Franciscan Action Network
Dr. Charlie Camosy
Pro-Life Ethicist
Canon Georgette Forney
President
Anglicans for Life
Herb Geraghty
Formerly Incarcerated & Pardoned Pro-Life Activist
Dan Lipinski
Congressman US IL-3, Retired
Lauren Handy
Formerly Incarcerated & Pardoned Pro-Life Activist
Dr. Sean Hutzler MD FACEP FAAEM
Leah Libresco Sergeant
Pro-Life Author
Bri Stensrud
Director
Women of Welcome
Lois Anderson
Executive Director
Oregon Right to Life
Dana DiMattia & Thomas Hill Coalition Organizers
Virginians for Preborn Justice
Elizabeth Edmonds
Executive Director
Georgia Life Alliance
Melanie Garcia Lyon
Indiana Pro-life Activist
Melanie Salazar
Executive Director
Pro-Life San Francisco
Jonathon Keller
President
California Family Council
Kristin Monahan Vegans for Preborn Rights
Lois Kerschen
Consistent Life Network
Individual Signatories
COMPLETE SIGNATORIES LIST (373 TOTAL)
ORGANIZATIONAL SIGNATORIES (35)
Lauren Pope (Rehumanize International)
Monica Snyder (Secular Pro-life)
Lila Rose (Live Action)
Scott Baker (Choose Life Coalition)
Josh Brahm (Equal Rights Institute)
Terrisa Bukovinac (Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising)
Carol Crossed (Feminists Choosing Life of NY)
Kristen Day (Democrats for Life)
Catherine Glenn Foster (First Rights Global)
Karen Garnett (Cogency Strategic)
Levi Hart (Reach Reproductive Health)
Destiny Herndon-De La Rosa (New Wave Feminists)
Hayden Laye (Pro-Life Greenville)
Maria McFadden Maffucci (Human Life Review)
Monica Migliorino Miller (Citizens for a Pro-Life Society)
Melissa Ohden (Abortion Survivors Network)
Nelly Roach (Choose Life)
Eric J Scheidler (Pro-Life Action League)
Jack Ternan (American Solidarity Party)
Franciscan Action Network
Dr. Charlie Camosy
Canon Georgette Forney (Anglicans for Life)
Herb Geraghty
Dan Lipinski (former Congressman)
Lauren Handy
Dr. Sean Hutzler
Leah Libresco Sargeant
Bri Stensrud (Women of Welcome)
Lois Anderson (Oregon Right to Life)
Dana DiMattia & Thomas Hill (Virginians for Preborn Justice)
Elizabeth Edmonds (Georgia Life Alliance)
Melanie Garcia Lyon
Melanie Salazar (Pro-Life San Francisco)
Jonathon Keller (California Family Council)
Kristin Monahan (Vegans for Preborn Rights)
INDIVIDUAL SIGNATORIES (338) - ALPHABETICAL BY FIRST NAME
Aasiya
Aaron Dawson
Abigail Grosse
Afton Nordean
Alexander Vernon
Allison Alejos
Allison Forbes
Allison Maluchnik
Allison Niebauer
Alison Tews
Amanda King
Amanda Meadows
Amelia Rivera
Amy Churchill
Amy Shoemaker
Andrea Broadbooks
Andrea Craigan
Andrea Hoover
Andrew Vernon
Angela Wallace
Angie Catrow
Annechien Nixon
Annette Beseman
April Coleman
Ashley Holloway
Ashley Vickers
Audrey Lock Blumber
Austin Johnson
Barbara Lynne Holder
Barbara Slaughter
Bea
Becca Engelkemier
Becky Kelly
Becky Lee
Becky Porter
Benjamin Diener
Beverly and Michael Faro
Brandy Miller
Bri Stensrud
Brittany Gibbs
Carol Clark
Carisa Curtis
Carly Lewis
Carmen Wade
Carrie Miller
Cassandra Speer
Catherine Broadbooks
Catherine Lawdanski
Caitie Sheppard
Charity Bucheli
Charis Graves
Charlotte Deibel
Chrisma Allen
Christine Diener
Christopher McCann
Ciara O'Rourke
Cindy McHorney
Clare Craigan
Claudia Merrett
Claudia Wittel
Corrie Johnson
Cynthia Egbert
Daniel Nuzum
Danessa Ison
Deb Schleusener
Deb Swanson
Deborah Detzel
Denise Grosse
Destiny Leckie
Elizabeth Luttrell
Elizabeth McKinnis
Elizabeth Swann
Elizabeth Walker
Elaine Olson
Emily Lewis
Emily Otto
Emily Penny
Emily Petersen
Emily Price
Emily Upchurch
Emily Whittaker
Emily Yingling
Erin Pennewitt
Esther Jackson
Esther Luna
Gabriel Borlean
Gail Stietz
Georganna Monahan
Ginny Barker
Graciela Sanchez
Gregory McKinney
Gregory Smith
Haley Frederick
Haley Ivens
Hannah Hinojosa
Hannah Lawwell
Hannah Leckie
Hannah Magruder
Heather Harshbarger
Heather Hernandez
Heather Matthews
Heidi Brons-Aasen
Heidi Sweet
Heidi Witte
Holly Tseng
Holly Wettstein
Jane Owsley
Janice Buendia
Janine Doyle
Jeanette Taylor
Jean Drake
Jean Villacorta
Jennifer Baker
Jennifer Casey
Jennifer Clark
Jennifer Enfield
Jennifer Hunt
Jeremy Luna
Jeremy Rupp
Jessica Bonfield
JL Angell
Joanna Robinson
John Whitehead
Josh Shepherd
Josephine Ward
Joy Brown
Joy Feldner
Judy Lovelady
Julia Curtis
Julia Simmons
Julia Smucker
Julia Zammit
Juliana
Julie Fuller
Kara DeYoung
Kara Rodriguez
Kara Skarda
Karen Goodwin
Karen Wells
Karen Yarnell
Karlyn Anderson
Karla Ebensberger
Kate Ryan
Kathleen Geagan
Katherine Teague
Kathryn Nussman
Katie Truelove
Katrina Becker
Katrina Koch
Keith Francis
Kelly Pritchett
Kelly White
Kelly Wiese
Kendal Adamson
Kerry Owsley
Kiersten Henkel
Kiersti Giron
Kim Contreras
Kim Wilson
Kingsley K
Kris Korth
Krisan Buckel
Kristin Miller
Kristin Monahan
Laranda Eakin
Lance Martin
Laura Nocito
Laura Pinkava
Laurie Carlson
Laurie Fatica-Tice
Leigh Bacher
Leah Libresco Sargeant
Liesl Thornley
Lisa Pitt
Liz Holmes
Liz Hoover
Lois Anderson
Lorraine Griffith
Louis Shapiro
Lydia C
Lyndse Ballew
Lyndsey Hammitt
Mackenzie Thada
Maggie Holland
Marilee Marks
Maria McFadden Maffucci
Marietta Jones
Martha Golea
Martha Staley
Martin Wallace
Mary Anderson
Mary Crickmore
Mary Ellen Connelly
Mary MacDonald-Murray
Mary Ramirez
Mary Ruth Yao
Mary Smith
MaryLou Bolfik
Marty Payne
Matthew Barker
Maureen Dawson-Hurst
Meaghan Bond
Meaghan Metcalfe
Meagan Bond
Meek Metcalfe
Melanie Black
Melanie Koewing
Melanie Lambert
Melanie Manzanarez
Melissa Breyette
Mercy Olson
Merriel Bloomfield
Michele Davis
Michele McCaslin
Molly Adams
Molly Burger
Monica Doyle
Moriah Steiner
Nathan Ramsey
Nihaya Atchanah
Nina Morton
Nora King
Norma Friddle
Patricia Long
Paula Snyder
Peggy Chaney
Penny Cochran
Phyllis Hunsucker
Pilar Saad
Rachel Asher
Rachel Hochstein
Rachel Martinez
Rachel Ruvarac
Rebecca Conlon
Rebecca Fleming
Rebecca Jackson
Rebekah Cross
Rebekah King
Rebekah Phillips
Rebekah Pinkava
Renee Miller
Rev. Annie McGregor
Rev. Gail Brooks
Rita Loughrin
Rochelle Smetherham
Ryan Prins
Sandra Kascewicz
Sara Vroom Fick
Sarah Burchart
Sarah Newswander
Sarah Ramsey
Sarah Santiagos
Savannah Lynch
Shannon Eidson
Sharon Jackson
Sharon Moorefield
Steven Thomas
Stacy Oakley
Susan Hall
Susan McElroy-Marcus
Susan Rice
Susan Wilk
Susy Britton
Tabbitha Easley
Talia Thomas
Tamara McDaniel
Tammy Kouwe
Tania Birch
Teena Price
Terra Mangum
Tom Still
Tracy Whitney
Twila Smucker
Tyler Upchurch
Val Dempster
Vanassee Clingan
Veronica Freund
Victoria Garrison
Victoria Needham
Wendy Flores
Wynette Sills
Zeshan Khatri
Protecting pregnant women in immigration custody should be common ground.
ENDNOTES
American Immigration Lawyers Association, ICE Ends Presumption of Release for All Pregnant Detainees (Directive 11032.3, Dec. 14, 2017), https://www.aila.org/infonet/ice-ended-presumption-of-release-for-all-pregnant
ICE Directive 11032.4, Identification and Monitoring of Pregnant, Postpartum, and Nursing Individuals (July 9, 2021), archived copy via National Immigrant Women’s Advocacy Project, https://niwaplibrary.wcl.american.edu/pubs/ice-pregnant-postpartum-nursing-individuals
See, e.g., ICE keeps detaining pregnant immigrants against federal policy, The 19th (Oct. 21, 2025), https://19thnews.org/2025/10/ice-detaining-pregnant-nursing-immigrants/; ICE keeps detaining pregnant immigrants against federal policy, LAist (Oct. 2025), https://laist.com/brief/news/politics/ice-keeps-detaining-pregnant-immigrants-against-federal-policy
American Academy of Family Physicians, Joint Letter to DHS on Detention of Pregnant Women (AAP, ACOG, AAFP, Mar. 30, 2018), https://www.aafp.org/dam/AAFP/documents/advocacy/prevention/women/LT-DeputyDirectorHoman-033018.PDF
U.S. Government Accountability Office, Immigration Detention: Care of Pregnant Women in DHS Facilities, GAO-20-330 (Mar. 2020), https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-20-330; Kramer C, et al. Shackling and pregnancy care policies in US prisons and jails. Maternal and Child Health Journal. 2023;27:186-196; National Commission on Correctional Health Care. Pregnancy and postpartum care in correctional settings. January 2018.
Dunkel Schetter C. et al., Contribution of maternal stress to preterm birth, Clinics in Perinatology (2011); Lilliecreutz C. et al., Effect of maternal stress during pregnancy on risk for preterm birth, BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth (2016), https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3179976/
U.S. Government Accountability Office, GAO-20-330, Table 2 (matched ICE records for 2016 and 2018), https://www.gao.gov/assets/710/707266.pdf
American Civil Liberties Union, Pregnant and Postpartum Women Face Neglect and Abuse in ICE Detention (Oct. 27, 2025), https://www.aclu.org/news/immigrants-rights/pregnant-and-postpartum-women-face-neglect-and-abuse-in-ice-detention; see also Associated Press, Advocacy groups say pregnant migrants suffered miscarriages in ICE custody, https://apnews.com/article/811f9f6b10ef42cc51c7c7d154046a30