U.S. Immigration Agency Deported Hundreds of Pregnant or Nursing Women, Data Reveals
WASHINGTON D.C. – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deported 363 pregnant, postpartum, or nursing women between January 1, 2025, and February 16, 2026, according to data released by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in response to a request from U.S. senators. The figures underscore growing concerns about the human cost of the administration’s immigration policies.
As of February 16, 2026, 86 pregnant detainees were in ICE custody, including nine in their third trimester. Last year, through late September 2025, 16 miscarriages occurred among women detained by ICE.
Detaining pregnant individuals carries significant health risks, according to medical experts. While DHS asserts that pregnant women have access to adequate medical care, reports and personal stories contradict this claim. Physicians for Human Rights and the Women’s Refugee Commission recently released a report detailing a lack of access to necessary medical attention for pregnant women in ICE detention.
The DHS data also revealed that 498 “pregnant, postpartum and nursing aliens” were “booked out” of ICE custody during the same period, but the agency could not specify whether these individuals were deported, released, or taken for medical appointments.
ICE policy states that the agency “generally does not detain, arrest, or take into custody aliens known to be pregnant, postpartum, or nursing for an administrative violation of immigration laws unless release is prohibited by law or for exceptional circumstances.” Advocates argue that alternatives to detention, allowing individuals to remain at home while their immigration cases are processed, are a more humane and effective approach.
Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) has called on the White House to take negotiations more seriously, highlighting the need for reform. Senator Murray has also expressed concerns regarding the inadequacy of the DHS response to oversight requests concerning pregnant women in ICE detention.
The lack of comprehensive data collection, particularly regarding lactating women in detention, further complicates the situation. Separating infants and mothers, including those who are breastfeeding, is deeply disruptive to families.
The situation raises fundamental questions about the U.S.’s adherence to its own immigration laws, constitutional principles, and international human rights obligations. Without full compliance, the well-being of immigrant infants, children, mothers, and family unity remains at risk.
