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Statement

Moms Leader Calls Trump Administration Decision to Imprison More Pregnant Immigrant Women “Cruel, Inhumane and Indefensible”

March 30, 2018
Immigration

Lisa Lederer, 202-371-1996

Statement from Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, executive director and CEO of MomsRising, a national online and on-the-ground organization of more than 1 million mothers and their families
“In another shocking move designed to terrorize the immigrant community, the Trump administration announced yesterday that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will detain many more pregnant women who are awaiting deportation proceedings in court. This move is cruel, inhumane and absolutely indefensible. It will unnecessarily traumatize vulnerable mothers, denying them essential health care and needlessly endangering their pregnancies. And it will potentially force many more women to give birth in detention, risking their lives and health.
 
“We are alarmed and horrified by this action, which will force even more immigrant families to live in fear and undermine the basic human rights of women who deserve to be treated with compassion, dignity and respect.
 
“America’s moms do not want our government to endanger the health of pregnant women, tear families apart or abuse human rights in the name of immigration enforcement. We are deeply concerned about the Trump administration’s many deplorable anti-immigrant actions, which harm our families, communities, economy and country. We urge the administration to retract this new policy, and Congress to do whatever is necessary to reverse it.”
 

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MomsRising.org is an on-the-ground and online grassroots organization of more than a million people who are working to increase family economic security, decrease discrimination against women and moms, and to build a nation where businesses and families can thrive. Established in 2006, MomsRising and its members are organizing and speaking out to improve public policy and to change the national dialogue on issues that are critically important to America’s families, including criminal justice reform, immigration policy reform, and gun safety. MomsRising is working for paid family and medical leave, affordable, high quality childcare and early learning, and for an end to the wage and hiring discrimination which penalizes women — particularly moms and women of color — and so many others. MomsRising advocates for access to healthy food for all kids, health care for all, earned sick days, and breastfeeding rights so that all children can have a healthy start. MomsRising maintains a Spanish language website: MamásConPoder.org. Sign up online at www.MomsRising.org — and follow us on our blog, and on Twitter and Facebook.