Pregnant Mother Fears Miscarriage In Immigration Detention; ACLU Of San Diego Demands Her Release

SAN DIEGO, CA – The American Civil Liberties Union of San Diego and Imperial counties is demanding Immigration and Customs Enforcement release an undocumented pregnant mother from the Otay Mesa Detention Facility. Concerned about the health of the woman and her unborn child, the ACLU is asking ICE to allow Maria Solis, 28, to fight her immigration case from her Oceanside home.

ICE agents detained Solis, a pregnant mother of three American children, on Aug. 1, just days after she discovered she was pregnant. She has been held at the detention facility ever since.

Solis was previously deported in 2007 at the age of 19, according to ICE and a letter ACLU attorneys Bardis Vakili and Jonathan Markovitz sent to ICE Monday.

In the letter, the ACLU told ICE that it is "deeply concerned" about the woman's health. Solis, the letter states, has had a history of high-risk pregnancies. She has reportedly experienced severe cramping and is scared she will have a miscarriage due to the high levels of stress in the detention facility.

"The emotional and physical pressures inherent to detention produce unnecessary stress and trauma that can cause complications during pregnancy," the letter states. "Among other problems, high levels of prenatal stress can increase the risk of stillbirth and cause brain disorders. Because of those concerns, there is a growing consensus that detention of pregnant women should be avoided."

The ACLU also cited policy memos from previous immigration leaders – including former Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson and former acting ICE director Thomas Homan – that advise against the detention of pregnant women.

Nevertheless, ICE assistant field office director Joseph Greene denied Solis' request to be released in "a two-sentence letter" on Aug. 31, according to the ACLU letter. Greene's letter "does not provide any justification" for the woman's continued detention, the ACLU argued.

"We urge you to review her case and promptly order her release, as there are no extraordinary circumstances to warrant her continued detention while she pursues relief from removal," the letter states. "We also request that you take steps to ensure that the detention and care of all pregnant women in ICE custody accords with detention policies, including at least weekly review of the continued need for their detention."

ICE spokeswoman Lauren Mack confirmed to Patch that Solis remains in custody pending a review of her immigration case by a judge with the Department of Justice’s Executive Office for Immigration Review.

"She was taken into custody Aug. 1 during a targeted enforcement action conducted by ICE Fugitive Operations," Mack said.

A change.org petition that also demands Solis' release has more than 2,700 signatures.

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