Planned Parenthood: New ICE Policy Puts Pregnant Women’s “Health and Lives at Risk”
For Immediate Release: March 29, 2018 (Updated: March 29, 2018, 6:15 p.m.)
Washington, DC — Today, it was made public that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) revoked previous guidance limiting detention of pregnant women. This change puts women’s health in danger by removing the reporting requirements regarding the treatment of pregnant women and eliminating the presumption that ICE should not detain pregnant women except in the case of extraordinary circumstances.
This follows changes to the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) policies that restrict unaccompanied minors’ ability to obtain abortions.
Statement from Dawn Laguens, Executive Vice President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America:
The Trump-Pence administration is putting pregnant women’s health and lives at risk. All women deserve respect and access to basic health care — regardless of their immigration status. For pregnant women, access to regular health care is especially crucial. ICE must do more to ensure the health and safety of those in its custody, but instead it is making it more difficult for those in its care to get essential health care.
The Trump-Pence administration has already made it harder for many immigrants to get the health care they need. Let’s be clear: Access to health care is continuing to get even worse for pregnant women detained by ICE. We cannot let this administration’s zeal for harsh immigration enforcement continue to harm people’s basic health and lives.
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Planned Parenthood is the nation’s leading provider and advocate of high-quality, affordable health care for women, men, and young people, as well as the nation’s largest provider of sex education. With more than 600 health centers across the country, Planned Parenthood organizations serve all patients with care and compassion, with respect and without judgment. Through health centers, programs in schools and communities, and online resources, Planned Parenthood is a trusted source of reliable health information that allows people to make informed health decisions. We do all this because we care passionately about helping people lead healthier lives.