‘It’s Hell’: Migrant Women Suffer Constant Abuse In ICE Centers

In detention centers, the needs of pregnant women are ignored. Insufficient and poor-quality food, lack of access to medication and necessary medical care, and overcrowding are common complaints. In February, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said there were 86 pregnant women in custody.

The detention machinery imposed by Trump disproportionately affects women, who—along with children—are the most vulnerable victims of the Trump deportation campaign. Women have been separated from breastfeeding infants, abandoned during pregnancies, neglected after suffering miscarriages, assaulted and abused by officials, and unable to report violence for fear of reprisals.

“No period in our history has been more disruptive or more destructive for immigrant women, girls and families than what we have witnessed over the past 16 months,” Zain Lakhani, director of Migrant Rights and Justice at the Women’s Refugee Commission (WRC), told the Democratic Women’s Caucus (DWC) this week. Lakhani was part of a delegation of women advocates for migrants who met with congresswomen this week to request legislative measures to stop the mistreatment of detainees.