U.S. officials jailed approximately 2,100 pregnant women for immigration violations in 2018, including hundreds who were held for weeks or months, a 52 percent increase since President Donald Trump took office, according to a Government Accountability Office report released Thursday.
The spike in pregnant detainees came after federal officials quietly terminated an Obama administration order to release most expectant mothers because of health concerns.
Advocates for immigrants had pushed the Obama administration to sharply curtail the practice of detaining pregnant women ahead of the 2016 elections, citing insufficient health care and nutrition in federal detention centers and contract jails and the increased risk of miscarriage. But shortly after the policy went into effect, Trump declared that nobody in the United States illegally is immune to detention and deportation.
The increase in detained pregnant women comes amid myriad policy efforts to put pressure on migrants, with the ultimate goal of deterring people from making the trip to the U.S. southern border. The administration also has tried to restrict underage migrants’ access to abortion services and advocates for immigrants say officials have expelled pregnant adults to dangerous cities in Mexico to await their asylum hearings.
