“Moms across the country are horrified and heartbroken by reports of pregnant women in ICE custody placed in solitary confinement, denied the adequate food and medical care they need to maintain healthy pregnancies, shackled while actively miscarrying, and bleeding out alone without pain medication. This is an emergency and a matter of basic human rights. We need Congress to pass the Pregnant Women in Custody Act immediately to prevent these senseless and cruel tragedies and to protect the health of pregnant women and their babies detained or incarcerated across federal agencies. 

“We applaud Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37) for her leadership in introducing this bill and expanding its protections across federal agencies. The Pregnant Women in Custody Act would help safeguard pregnant and postpartum women in federal custody by establishing enforceable standards for access to health care, high-risk pregnancy support, mental health and substance abuse treatment, and family unity; adding protections against unsafe practices such as restraints and restrictive housing; improving data collection; and strengthening oversight and enforcement. These basic protections are long overdue, and it is shameful and horrifying that pregnant women in federal custody are without these essential safeguards. 

“As Mother’s Day approaches, we honor and remember all moms, including those who are jailed, incarcerated, and detained. No one should ever suffer abuse or neglect in federal custody, or the health emergencies, pregnancy loss, and trauma that can result. We will continue to fight for the health, safety, dignity and human rights of every person, and for our tax dollars to go toward policies our families need – including affordable child care, health care, SNAP, and Medicaid – not more ICE cruelty, reckless wars, and billionaire tax cuts. Moms reject Republican leaders who are putting cruelty and chaos over the stability that America’s families and our economy need to thrive.”