Biden Admin Announces Policy Limiting ICE Detention of Pregnant Immigrants. But Will It Be Followed?

The Biden administration on Friday unveiled policy limiting the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention of pregnant individuals, stating that federal immigration officials will not detain pregnant immigrants “unless release is prohibited by law or exceptional circumstances exist.” While advocates called the administration’s policy a step in the right direction, they remained cautious.

“After the devastating impact of the Trump administration’s policies, we are heartened to see today’s newly issued guidance and hope this indicates a shift in ICE’s policy and practice once and for all,” Katharina Obser of the Migrant Rights & Justice Program at the Women’s Refugee Commission said in a statement received by Daily Kos.