We, the undersigned organizations that support the health and rights of immigrant women, write to express our strong opposition to proposals to restrict access to abortion for women in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention. These proposals seek to impose, through a rider on the Homeland Security appropriations bill, a ban on coverage and provision of abortion services for individuals in ICE custody except in cases of rape, incest, and a very narrow definition of life endangerment. This language further chips away at access to abortion by allowing any ICE employee to refuse “to perform or facilitate in any way” any abortion.
Every woman should be able to access the health care she needs, including abortion, and no one should face political interference in their health care decisions, including while a woman is detained. This proposal is a politicized attack on health care access and decision-making for immigrant women.