Woman Still Mourns Miscarriage After ICE Detention, Now Living in Rural Guatemala
May 7, 2026·Location: TX

Iris Dayana Monterroso-Lemus, detained by ICE at Richwood Correctional Center in Louisiana after missing a court hearing in a child custody case, lost her pregnancy mid-term while in custody and was deported to Guatemala in May 2025. Medical staff performed invasive procedures and administered medication without her consent or clear explanation, and she was returned to detention despite severe pain and bleeding, with ICE denying follow-up care for over two months until she was treated for an infection after deportation. She now lives in a rural area of Petén, Guatemala without reliable electricity or running water, separated from her partner, Gary Bivens, who keeps their son's ashes until they can bury him together, and from her three children, who remain in Lenoir City, Tennessee with her mother. Department of Homeland Security data shows 16 recorded miscarriages in ICE custody between January 2025 and February 2026, during which 363 pregnant, postpartum, or nursing women were deported.
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