ICE Detains and Deports Pregnant, Postpartum Women Amid Health Complications

Hundreds of pregnant, postpartum, and breastfeeding women are being detained and deported by ICE, leading to severe health complications. A Venezuelan mother was deported after suffering from mastitis in detention, leaving her US citizen children in Texas.

Thu May 21 2026

Increased Detention of Pregnant and Postpartum Women and Health Issues

New data from the Brookings Institution shows that over 145,000 U.S. citizen children have experienced the detention of at least one parent. Amidst the Trump administration's intensified immigration crackdown, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been detaining vulnerable populations, including pregnant, postpartum, and breastfeeding mothers. Many of these individuals reportedly suffer severe health complications due to inadequate medical care in detention facilities. Univision reporter Lidia Terrazas has been providing in-depth coverage of these issues, highlighting the suffering of immigrant families.

Ana Delgado's Case: A Postpartum Mother's Deportation

According to Univision's report, Ana Delgado, a Venezuelan mother of two U.S. citizen children, was deported. While detained by ICE in Texas, she was transferred to various detention centers and developed health problems, including mastitis. She struggled to obtain a breast pump and eventually resorted to expressing milk manually in the shower. Delgado endured extreme pain during her detention and was ultimately swiftly deported via Arizona, leaving her young children in Texas. This action contradicts the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)'s own directives, which advise against detaining pregnant individuals unless there are extreme circumstances.

Growing Vulnerable Population at Dilley Detention Center

Lidia Terrazas also highlighted the case of Evelyn Sanchez from Honduras, who was detained during a traffic stop in California and transferred to the Dilley family detention center in Texas, where she was separated from her young son. She was breastfeeding at the time and was miraculously released a day before Mother's Day, allowing her to reunite with her children. Sanchez testified that many other pregnant, postpartum, and nursing mothers are in similar situations. According to attorneys and advocacy organizations, the number of these vulnerable detainees at the Dilley detention center has surged in recent weeks, indicating a widespread pattern.

*Source: YouTube: MSNBC (2026-05-21)*

Tags: #Immigration #ICE #Human Rights #US #Women's Health #Immigration Enforcement