Posts Tagged pregnant women

By Maya Dusenbery • 9 years ago

The US is locking up pregnant immigrants despite policy against it

According to official Immigration and Customs Enforcement guidelines, pregnant immigrants aren’t supposed to be detained except if they pose a public safety threat. ICE officials have claimed this is such a rare occurrence it’s not even worth asking about. 

According to official Immigration and Customs Enforcement guidelines, pregnant immigrants aren’t supposed to be detained except if they pose a public safety threat. ICE officials have claimed this is such a rare occurrence it’s not even worth asking ...
By Maya Dusenbery • 10 years ago

Tennessee could become the first state to criminalize pregnancy

Last week Tennessee passed legislation that would make drug use during a pregnancy a criminal offense. If the governor doesn’t veto it, the state would be allowed to investigate every miscarriage, stillbirth, and baby born with birth defects to try to determine if drugs played a role, turning any pregnant person into a potential suspect.

We’ve written extensively before about the growing criminalization of pregnancy, but Tennessee’s law is actually a first. While hundreds of women — mostly poor, young, Black women who used drugs — have been held criminally liable for the outcomes of their pregnancies under “fetal harm” laws, those laws were never actually intended to the be used ...

Last week Tennessee passed legislation that would make drug use during a pregnancy a criminal offense. If the governor doesn’t veto it, the state would be allowed to investigate every miscarriage, stillbirth, and baby born ...
By Maya Dusenbery • 11 years ago

New report shows how the principle of “personhood” is already criminalizing pregnancy in the US

Regina McKnight was charged with homicide by child abuse after the state said her cocaine use caused her to have a stillbirth. It was later determined that the stillbirth was due to an infection, and her conviction was overturned–after she’d already served eight years in prison.

Laura Pemberton wanted to have a vaginal birth after having had a previous c-section, despite the advice of her doctors. She was in labor at her house, when her doctors sought a court order and dispatched the sheriff to forcibly bring her to the hospital. After an emergency hearing in which she had no legal representation, she was forced to undergo the surgery.

Michelle Marie Greenup was bleeding and in pain, so she went to the hospital. ...

Regina McKnight was charged with homicide by child abuse after the state said her cocaine use caused her to have a stillbirth. It was later determined that the stillbirth was due to ...