A group of Democratic representatives has sent a letter to Immigration and Customs Enforcement requesting detailed information about pregnancy outcomes among detained immigrants. The lawmakers, led by representatives Brittany Pettersen, Joyce Beatty, and Robin Kelly, are seeking data on miscarriages, stillbirths, and hospitalizations of pregnant women in ICE custody. The request follows a Guardian investigation indicating that ICE has detained record numbers of pregnant women and teenagers while simultaneously losing documentation of pregnancy-related health incidents.
According to government documents reviewed by the Guardian, ICE recorded 18 miscarriages during the first nine months of the Trump administration but has no documented data on such cases after 3 October 2025. The agency attributed this gap to a change in medical billing providers that occurred in October, which caused delays in medical claims processing. Immigration attorneys and former officials noted that while unusual, the reliance on billing data to track health outcomes was plausible.
In their correspondence, the lawmakers cited a 2021 ICE directive prohibiting the detention of pregnant, postpartum, and nursing immigrants except when required by law or under exceptional circumstances. The letter, cosigned by 64 representatives, requests clarification on the legal grounds justifying current detentions and asks what steps have been taken to recover missing health data. The representatives expressed concern that ICE has not complied with requirements to monitor and document the health of detained pregnant individuals.
Detained pregnant women have reported difficulties accessing both routine and emergency medical care. Medical professionals told the Guardian that inadequate care during pregnancy and following miscarriage could transform manageable conditions into life-threatening situations. A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson denied claims of substandard care but did not confirm receipt of the congressional letter. ICE was given until 6 November to respond to the lawmakers’ inquiries regarding when agency leadership became aware of tracking system deficiencies.
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