Lawmakers Demand ICE Data on Detained Immigrant Miscarriages
Democratic representatives ask ICE to disclose miscarriages, stillbirths and hospitalizations among detained pregnant immigrants after DHS confirmed missing data.
The story in focus
Democratic US representatives led by Brittany Pettersen, Joyce Beatty and Robin Kelly sent a letter to ICE acting director David Venturella demanding disclosure of pregnancy outcomes among detained immigrants after DHS confirmed the agency holds no miscarriage data from October 2025 through June 2026.
- The letter requests data on miscarriages, stillbirths and pregnancy-related hospitalizations among detained immigrants.
- DHS confirmed ICE has no miscarriage data between October 2025 and June 2026.
- Lawmakers cite a 2021 directive limiting detention of pregnant and postpartum people and requiring health documentation.
- The letter sets a 6 November response deadline and was cosigned by 64 other representatives.
- ICE recorded 18 miscarriages in the first nine months of the Trump administration before losing tracking, per Guardian reporting.
Lawmakers press ICE for pregnancy outcome records
Democratic representatives Brittany Pettersen, Joyce Beatty and Robin Kelly sent a letter this month to ICE acting director David Venturella seeking counts of miscarriages, stillbirths and pregnancy-related hospitalizations among detained immigrants, according to The Guardian. The letter was cosigned by 64 other representatives.
Lawmakers also asked when ICE leadership first learned of reporting and tracking deficiencies and what steps, if any, have been taken to recover missing data. The letter sets a 6 November response deadline. DHS did not confirm to The Guardian whether it had received the letter.
Missing data and a 2021 directive
DHS confirmed to The Guardian that ICE holds no miscarriage data from October 2025 through June 2026. Internal agency documents attribute the gap to a change in medical billing providers in October; claims processing has been delayed for months. ICE recorded 18 miscarriages in the first nine months of the Trump administration, The Guardian reported.
The lawmakers cite a 2021 directive requiring ICE to avoid detaining pregnant, postpartum and nursing immigrants unless release is prohibited by law or exceptional circumstances exist, and to monitor and document their health. They asked ICE to clarify the grounds for detaining pregnant immigrants.
What did lawmakers ask ICE to disclose?
They asked ICE to disclose miscarriages, stillbirths and pregnancy-related hospitalizations among detained immigrants, explain missing-data recovery steps, clarify detention grounds, and respond by 6 November.
Sources & further reading
Help keep the record accurate. Send a correction.
