Advocates Warn of Dire Conditions for Pregnant Women in ICE Custody: 'Detention Is Inherently Dangerous'

ICE keeps detaining pregnant immigrants—against federal policy

But the number is impossible to measure since Congress let lapse a requirement that ICE report how many pregnant, postpartum and nursing immigrants are in custody. By� Shefali Luthra �and� Mel ...

ICE keeps detaining pregnant immigrants against federal policy

This story was originally reported by Shefali Luthra and Mel Leonor Barclay of The 19th. Meet Shefali and Mel and read more of their reporting on gender, politics and policy. Cary López Alvarado, of Hawthorne, California, was nine months pregnant when she was arrested by immigration officials alongside her husband, an immigrant from Guatemala. Alvarado was held overnight but was never sent to a detention facility: After taking her into custody, …

ICE keeps detaining pregnant immigrants — against federal policy

An Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer's badge is seen as federal agents patrol the halls of immigration court in New York City on June 10, 2025. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images) Cary López Alvarado, of Hawthorne, California, was nine months pregnant when she was arrested by immigration officials alongside her husband, an immigrant from Guatemala. Alvarado was held overnight but was never sent to a detention facility: After ta…

Advocates Warn of Dire Conditions for Pregnant Women in ICE Custody: 'Detention Is Inherently Dangerous'

This is the first time I've seen so many pregnant people in [ICE] detention," said Tania Wolf of the National Immigration Project to The Intercept