Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Bob Menendez
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) joined Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and 17 other Senate Democratic colleagues in introducing the Stop Shackling and Detaining Pregnant Women Act. The legislation will protect the health and safety of pregnant people in immigration detention by reinstituting their presumption of release, prohibiting the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from shackling pregnant women in its custody, and setting new standards of care and transparency for the treatment of pregnant women and youth.
“There is absolutely no reason why pregnant women in DHS custody should be shackled, a practice that can ultimately endanger her health and well-being,” said Sen. Menendez. “I am proud to be supporting this bill because it will establish new standards of care and transparency for the treatment of pregnant women and youth, especially critical following the former administration’s gross mistreatment of women and children in DHS custody.”
The bill was first introduced in the U.S. Senate during the 116thCongress in light of reports of mistreatment of pregnant women in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody, including a report of a woman in ICE custody whose pregnancy ended in a stillbirth after she went into labor prematurely.
In 2018, the Trump Administration publicly announced the end of the Obama-era policy of presumed release of pregnant women and youth in immigration detention. Under this policy, pregnant women in ICE detention do not have access to appropriate prenatal medical care and are at higher risk of pregnancy-related health complications.
In the Senate, the bill was also cosponsored by Sens. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), and Alex Padilla (D-Calif.).
A companion version of the bill was introduced in the House of Representatives by Representative Sylvia Garcia (D-Texas-29), and was cosponsored by 27 members of the House.
For a copy of the legislative text click HERE.