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WASHINGTON – Representatives Brittany Pettersen (CO-07), Joyce Beatty (OH-03) and Robin Kelly (IL-02) today announced their demand for answers from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) about its failure to account for miscarriages and other pregnancy-related medical outcomes of its detainees since Donald Trump has aggressively increased the detention of undocumented immigrants, legal immigrants, and even in some cases American citizens. In a letter to Acting Director David Venturella, the lawmakers warn that a full year of pregnancy-related outcomes remains unaccounted for as reports describe pregnant women struggling to obtain basic and emergency medical care.

According to agency records, at least 18 women miscarried while in custody from January 2025 through October 3, 2025. Yet, despite these alarming and unprecedented numbers, ICE has failed to collect, maintain, or disclose data on miscarriages since the last report on October 3, 2025.

“Women are reporting pregnancy emergencies without adequate care, and ICE cannot even account for how many women have miscarried in its custody. That is appalling,” said Congresswoman Brittany Pettersen. “As a mom, I’m horrified by what these women describe. ICE must answer for these failures, provide the missing records, and ensure every person in its custody receives the care they need.”

“I’m horrified by the growing number of reported miscarriages and the blatant disregard for women’s health in ICE detention facilities,” said Congresswoman Joyce Beatty. “Donald Trump’s Department of Homeland Security has a responsibility to account for these pregnancy-related medical outcomes and ensure that women in its custody are receiving the care they need. We cannot allow a lack of transparency and accountability to put more women and unborn children at risk. We are demanding answers, and we won’t stop until we have them.”

"In the first 9 months of the second Trump administration alone, at least 18 women miscarried in ICE custody, and since then ICE has just stopped counting. Pregnant women in custody have continuously been denied access to routine and emergency medical care. Where is their humanity?" said Congresswoman Robin Kelly. "My colleagues and I are demanding accountability and real answers. Everyone – no matter where you're from – deserves to be treated with dignity and respect."

“It is well documented that incarceration significantly worsens maternal health outcomes and increases risks for pregnancy loss, including miscarriages and adverse birth events, due to high stress, poor nutrition, and limited access to quality medical care,” the members wrote in the letter. “Firsthand accounts from detainees indicate they are struggling to access routine and emergency medical care, including not being scheduled for blood tests or an ultrasound to confirm a healthy pregnancy and not receiving prenatal vitamins.  The agency has also reportedly denied repeated requests for medical records from detainees, leaving them in the dark about their medical history and the need for any additional follow-up care.” 

ICE’s own policy says it generally should not detain people known to be pregnant, postpartum, or nursing for administrative immigration violations, unless release is prohibited by law or exceptional circumstances exist. When those individuals are detained, the policy requires access to specialized medical care and restricts the use of certain restraints. Despite those safeguards, records cited in the letter show that the number of pregnant women and adolescents in detention rose from at least 87 in October 2025 to 101 in November 2025.

The lawmakers describe reports of delayed emergency treatment, barriers to specialist care, and people going without blood tests, ultrasounds, or prenatal vitamins. Some detainees have also reportedly been denied repeated requests for their medical records, making it harder to understand their treatment and obtain follow-up care.

The letter demands complete responses by November 6, 2026, including:

• The number of pregnant people detained and how ICE justifies detention under its “exceptional circumstances” standard.

• A full accounting of miscarriages, stillbirths, serious pregnancy complications, hospitalizations, and emergency transfers since October 3, 2025.

• An explanation of missing data, efforts to recover it, and when agency leadership learned about reporting failures.

• Records of outside medical care that was denied or delayed, complaints about pregnancy-related care, and investigations into potential violations.

Trump’s expansion of immigration detention does not give ICE free rein to disregard its own safeguards or evade congressional oversight and dehumanize those within its custody. The agency is responsible for the people it holds—and must answer for their treatment.

Congresswoman Brittany Pettersen has repeatedly pushed back against Trump’s harmful immigration policies and efforts to pour billions more into ICE and CBP without meaningful accountability. She has voted against enforcement funding packages, backed legislation requiring agents to visibly identify themselves, and supported restoring protections for schools, hospitals, and places of worship. Alongside Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper, she demanded that the administration abandon plans for a new ICE detention facility in Hudson, Colorado. She has also pressed for answers about prolonged detention in field office holding cells and proposed safeguards to protect detained parents’ children and prevent immigration detainees from being held in federal prisons.

See the full text of the letter HERE and below.

Dear Acting Director Venturella:

We write to raise our urgent concerns about the treatment of pregnant individuals in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody and the agency’s failure to fully account for pregnancy-related medical outcomes within its detention system.

Recent reporting, supported by internal agency documents and firsthand accounts from detainees, raises significant questions regarding ICE's compliance with agency policy, the adequacy of prenatal and emergency medical care provided in detention facilities, and the agency's oversight of pregnancy-related health outcomes. Many individuals have also been detained in temporary holding facilities that can be overcrowded, and lack basic access to water and plumbing.  These reports suggest that pregnant individuals in ICE custody may have experienced delayed emergency treatment, barriers to specialty care, inadequate prenatal services, and difficulties obtaining medical records.  

Under ICE Directive 11032.4, “ICE should not detain, arrest, or take into custody for an administrative violation of the immigration laws individuals known to be pregnant, postpartum, or nursing unless release is prohibited by law or exceptional circumstances exist.” Under this Directive, if  a pregnant, postpartum, or nursing person is detained, the facility is required to provide them with access to certain forms of specialized medical care and is prohibited from using certain restraints.  Records show that, despite this policy, ICE has detained more pregnant individuals than at any point in the preceding year. In October 2025 there were at least 87 pregnant women and adolescents in detention with that number increasing to 101 in November 2025.  

According to agency records, at least 18 women miscarried while in custody from January 2025 through October 3, 2025. Yet, despite these alarming and unprecedented numbers, ICE has failed to collect, maintain, or disclose data on miscarriages since the last report on October 3, 2025. As a result, a full year of pregnancy-related outcomes remain unaccounted for within a detention system for which your agency bears direct responsibility. This lack of transparency is deeply troubling, undermines meaningful oversight, and leaves Congress and the public unable to assess the safety, adequacy, and quality of medical care provided to pregnant individuals in ICE custody.

It is well documented that incarceration significantly worsens maternal health outcomes and increases risks for pregnancy loss, including miscarriages and adverse birth events, due to high stress, poor nutrition, and limited access to quality medical care. Firsthand accounts from detainees indicate they are struggling to access routine and emergency medical care, including not being scheduled for blood tests or an ultrasound to confirm a healthy pregnancy and not receiving prenatal vitamins. The agency has also reportedly denied repeated requests for medical records from detainees, leaving them in the dark about their medical history and the need for any additional follow-up care.

ICE’s inability to follow agency Directives, provide adequate medical care, and maintain accurate records of pregnancy-related medical outcomes is unacceptable. Please provide complete and timely responses to the following questions by November 6, 2026:

1. How many pregnant individuals has ICE detained since January 20, 2025? Please also provide how many of those individuals have been detained since October 3, 2025.

2. What criteria does ICE use to determine whether detention of a pregnant individual satisfies the "exceptional circumstances" standard referenced in ICE directive 11032.4?

1. How many pregnant individuals were released from detention pursuant to that directive since January 20, 2025? Please also provide how many of those individuals have been detained since October 3, 2025.

1. How many miscarriages, stillbirths, pregnancy-related hospitalizations, emergency medical transfers, and other serious pregnancy complications occurred among individuals in ICE custody since October 3, 2025?

2. If you cannot provide complete data regarding pregnancy outcomes during any portion of that period, please explain:

1. .Why such data are unavailable;

2. What information was affected;

3. What steps have been taken to recover missing information.

1. On what date did ICE leadership first become aware of concerns regarding miscarriage reporting and deficiencies in agency tracking systems?

1. . Please identify all briefings, memoranda, reports, or communications provided to senior ICE and DHS leadership concerning these matters and on what date those materials were sent.

1. How does ICE ensure timely access to prenatal, postpartum and OBGYN care, including but not limited to ultrasounds, laboratory tests, and prenatal vitamins?

2. Since October 2025, how many requests for outside obstetric care, specialist consultations, or hospital referrals were:

1. Approved;

2. Denied;

3. Delayed; or

4. Otherwise not completed.

1. Please provide the number of requests for medical records submitted since October 25th by pregnant detainees or their legal representatives.

1. What was the average response time for fulfilling those requests?

2. If applicable, please provide the number of complaints filed alleging

3. delayed, denied, or incomplete access to medical records.

1. How many complaints, grievances, incident reports, or allegations concerning pregnancy-related medical care have been filed since October 2025?

1. How many resulted in formal investigations?

2. How many investigations substantiated violations of policy, medical standards, or contractual requirements?

We look forward to your prompt response.

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