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Media Alert: Congressional Briefing on June 24 to Reveal Impact of Immigration Enforcement on Women and Families

Features firsthand accounts from former immigration detainee and former U.S. immigration detention center health care worker

WHAT: Briefing on the Impact of Immigration Enforcement on Women and Families

WHO: Former U.S. Immigration Detention Center health care worker who will testify about inadequate care
Marlene Jaggernauth, former detainee and deportee separated from her children for three years
Meghan Rhoad, Human Rights Watch
Emily Butera, Women's Refugee Commission
Nina Rabin, University of Arizona

WHEN: Wednesday, June 24, 2009, 1:30 p.m.

WHERE: Room HC6, The U.S. Capitol
RSVP required by June 23 to: Daniela Ramirez at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

HOSTED BY*: The National Coalition for Immigrant Women's Rights: American Civil Liberties Union; Human Rights Watch; Legal Momentum; National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum; National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health; Southwest Institute for Research on Women and Rogers College of Law at University of Arizona; and the Women's Refugee Commission

Every day, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) holds 32,000 immigrants in detention. Roughly 10 percent or 3,200 of detained immigrants are women. While current standards allow for emergency medical care and treatment for detained immigrants, they do not adequately cover the unique physical, social, emotional and healthcare needs of women, including gynecological exams, pre- and post-natal care, and treatment for those who have been victims of sexual assault and domestic violence.

Also, women are being permanently separated from their children at great cost to their children and to society. Many women are detained without being allowed to make childcare arrangements, are often transferred to facilities hundreds or thousands of miles away from their communities, and are denied the access to telephones and the legal materials necessary to coordinate childcare, locate their children and liaise with family courts to preserve their parental rights.

Contacts for interviews or more information:
NY: Meghan Rhoad, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it (703.307.0359)
DC: Emily Butera, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it (202.822.0166 ext 25)
AZ: Nina Rabin, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it (520.250.0124)

*Briefing held in cooperation with: The Congressional Hispanic Caucus, The Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus and The Congressional Progressive Caucus