Graduate student detained while pregnant for over 20 weeks, develops eclampsia after release
Feb 20, 2026

Marie, a graduate student and lawful visitor to the United States, was detained for more than 20 weeks at Basile detention center in Louisiana during her high-risk pregnancy. Although she had informed ICE officers of her pregnancy, she was placed in solitary confinement after being transferred thousands of miles from the U.S.-Canada border. Medical treatment was not provided until other detained women advocated for her. Inside the facility, food was often inedible, and when she asked about missing prenatal vitamins, a nurse told her, 'You won't die if you don't take them.' After her release through legal intervention, Marie developed eclampsia, endured a difficult delivery, and continues to struggle with postpartum depression linked to her detention trauma.
Sources
Related incidents
- Cuban man detained in Florida, deported to Central African Republic, held in BanguiOct 6, 2026 · West Palm Beach, FL
- Irvine special education teacher detained at LAX, transferred to Adelanto ICE facilityOct 6, 2026 · Los Angeles, CA
- ICE targets immigrants with longstanding protections for third-country deportation, advocates sayOct 5, 2026 · New York, NY
- Haitian father files habeas petition after being stopped and arrested with family in carOct 5, 2026 · Springfield, OH
- Honduran teen with Special Immigrant Juvenile status held in ICE detention over 200 daysOct 5, 2026 · Albertville, AL
- Officials clash with ICE at Newark detention center amid hunger strike, mayor arrestedOct 5, 2026 · Newark, NJ