Dozens of pro-life leaders have come together to urge the reinstatement of federal guidance that prevents Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from detaining pregnant women and new mothers. This plea follows serious concerns about the treatment of these women in detention, including reports of high-risk pregnancies suffering due to inadequate medical care.
On February 13, a letter was sent to the Trump administration, signed by over 30 pro-life advocates from various backgrounds. They highlighted cases of women experiencing delayed medical care, miscarriages, and even stillbirths during detention. The letter stated, “Unborn children are dying because of this policy.”
Among the signatories were notable figures like Lila Rose, founder of Live Action, and Leah Libresco Sargeant, who emphasizes that while immigration laws can be debated, protecting innocent children from harm must be a priority. She asserts, “We should always avoid taking pregnant or nursing women into custody unless absolutely necessary.”
The urgent plea comes after ICE rolled back protections in 2017 that presumed pregnant detainees could be released. Although ICE issued new guidance in 2021 to limit such detentions, reports indicate that this guidance is no longer being followed. Pro-life leaders noted that ICE’s website even marks the 2021 guidance as “archived,” which suggests a departure from those standards.
There’s an empathetic response echoed by other groups and lawmakers. Recently, Texas Representative Joaquin Castro called for the release of a two-month-old baby from a detention center, shedding light on the fragile state of detained families.
The letter outlined four key requests:
- Reinstate the previous guidance.
- Require special approval before detaining pregnant or nursing women.
- Publish data on detained women and the reasons for their detention.
- Review current cases and release those not posing security threats.
As Herb Geraghty from Secular Pro-Life said, “Pro-lifers have historically been one of Trump’s strongest voting blocks, so we hope the administration will take this request seriously.” The call for change highlights a growing movement intersecting the pro-life agenda with immigration reform, revealing a broader concern for human rights beyond borders.
For more insight, you can view the original letter from Rehumanize International here.
