DILLEY, Texas — A 36-week pregnant woman identified as Juana was deported over the weekend after spending approximately three months in immigration detention at the Dilley facility in Texas alongside her two young children, according to advocates monitoring the case.
Juana had reportedly been held at the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, commonly referred to by immigrant rights groups as the Dilley detention facility this is hᴀss been told by the Rep Congressman Joaquin Castro.
During her detention, she expressed fear about potentially going into labor while in custody, raising concerns about access to adequate prenatal care.
Advocates familiar with the case stated that when Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) initially attempted to remove Juana from the United States, medical professionals and at least one airline declined to authorize travel clearance because she was nearing her due date.
However, according to those same sources, ICE later secured medical and travel authorization that allowed for her deportation.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees ICE, has not publicly released detailed medical documentation related to Juana’s clearance for travel.
Federal immigration authorities have previously maintained that all detainees, including pregnant women, receive medical evaluations before transportation or removal proceedings are carried out.
Juana reportedly told advocates that the stress of prolonged detention had severely affected her physical and emotional well-being.
