US Bishops Express ‘Grave Concern’ Over ICE Treatment Of Pregnant Women

OSV News via the Boston Pilot: Two U.S. bishops, who lead the U.S. Catholic bishops’ efforts on pro-life and migration concerns, have advised the new head of the Department of Homeland Security of their “grave concern” over the treatment of pregnant and postpartum women in immigration detention.

“There are increasing numbers of alarming reports of pregnant mothers not getting the medical care they need while in immigration detention, tragically resulting in miscarriage in some cases, as well as reports of nursing mothers being separated from their babies when detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement,” wrote Bishop Daniel E. Thomas of Toledo, Ohio, and Bishop Brendan J. Cahill of Victoria, Texas, in an April 13 letter addressed to DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin. The two prelates respectively chair the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities and Committee on Migration.

A new joint report from the Women’s Refugee Commission and Physicians for Human Rights found that “ICE is violating its own policy to keep parents and children together,” while “detaining pregnant and postpartum women and not providing adequate medical care for pregnant women with life-threatening conditions.” Among the violations cited in the report were “mistreatment, inadequate healthcare, insufficient food, and shackling of pregnant and postpartum women in detention.”