Reps. Ansari, Grijalva and Dexter Join Reproductive Freedom for All to Advocate for Pregnant Women in Immigration Detention

ELOY, AZ - Yesterday, Representatives Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03), Adelita Grijalva (AZ-07) and Maxine Dexter (OR-03), joined alongside Reproductive Freedom for All President Mini Timmaraju, for an oversight visit to the Eloy Detention Center to hear directly from women about their reproductive health experiences in immigration detention. Multiple pregnant women have previously been held at Eloy, including one who miscarried. This is a departure from the policies of previous administrations that typically did not hold pregnant people in detention.

"The inhumane conditions inside Eloy Detention Center are unconscionable. Maria, a high-risk pregnant woman, is being denied critical medical care and adequate food. My constituent, Lilianne, the wife of a U.S. citizen, was detained at her green card appointment and is now being denied basic feminine hygiene products. No one should be treated this way," said Rep. Ansari. "All the while, the Trump Administration is pouring billions into ICE as private prison corporations like CoreCivic and GEO Group profit from detention. The level of cruelty and corruption is abundantly clear. This is a profound failure of human dignity, and we will hold this Administration accountable."

This marked Ansari's fourteenth oversight visit to an ICE detnetion facility. This visit focused on the urgent need to protect reproductive health, ensure access to adequate medical care, and uphold the dignity of women in immigration detention. During the visit, the lawmakers heard from women about their experiences navigating pregnancy and accessing essential reproductive health supplies while detained. The lawmakers met with two women:

Maria Alejandra Valero Brinez, a 24-year-old Venezuelan woman and mother of a six-year-old son. She has valid employment authorization until 2029, a pending asylum petition, and no criminal convictions. She was living in Mesa, Arizona before she was detained in August. She is approximately five months pregnant, and described serious concerns about her pregnancy and access to adequate medical care while detained. She has experienced spotting and reported that she has to throw herself on the ground and plead for attention in order to receive medical care. When she was able to receive care, the doctors informed her she has a low-lying placenta - the same condition that led to a stillborn birth three years earlier. Despite having a high-risk pregnancy, she said she has not been able to receive images from ultrasounds or other information about her and her baby's condition. Maria fears for their safety and well-being, especially given the lack of information about her pregnancy. She is also afraid to express any emotion about her current condition, as detainees are often placed into solitary confinement if they show any signs of emotional distress.

Maria also raised concerns about access to drinking water and food inside the facility. Despite clear doctor's recommendations to receive double food portions, Maria reports that one guard routinely dismisses this and only gives her the standard single portion. Maria also reported that she was not given antibiotics following a dental abscess that led to a tooth extraction. Untreated bacterial infections have the potential to cause miscarriages. Earlier this year, Emmanuel Damas passed away due to complications from an untreated tooth infection after being held at the Florence Detention Center.

Lilianne (who only wishes to use her first name), a Cuban woman detained at Eloy, described difficulties obtaining sufficient menstrual hygiene products. She reported inconsistent access, with the number of products provided varying depending on the detention officer, raising concerns about the availability of basic necessities for women in custody.

"Maria and Lilianne's stories show the deliberate cruelty at the heart of the Trump Administration's immigration agenda. Their treatment is not just inhumane - it is a disgraceful failure of the government's legal duty to protect the people in its custody," said Rep. Grijalva. "While private contractors rake in billions of taxpayer dollars, they are denying the most vulnerable individuals - including pregnant people - their most basic necessities, including medical care, clean drinking water, and adequate food. These corporations are profiting off human suffering, and the Trump Administration is footing the bill with our tax dollars. Maria, as well as all pregnant people in detention, deserve dignity, proper medical care, and immediate release."

"Maria is desperate to protect the health and safety of her baby. The federal government, by blatantly ignoring medical guidelines and advice, is putting her and her baby's life at risk," said Representative Dexter, who is one of six Democratic doctors in Congress. "She must be released immediately. DHS is refusing basic human and civil rights to the people in these despicable facilities and shows zero concern for the lives of people in them. Pregnant women and children do not belong in ICE detention. I will continue to use my experience as a physician, a mother, and my power as a member of Congress to protect women and children in this country."

"ICE is putting women's health, pregnancies, and lives at risk-leaving them to plead for even the most basic care and access to menstrual products," said Mini Timmaraju, President and CEO of Reproductive Freedom for All. "I'm grateful to Reps. Grijalva, Ansari, and Dexter for shining light on this crisis, and Reproductive Freedom for All is with them every step of the way in demanding an end to this cruelty."

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