Biden administration bars ICE from detaining pregnant or nursing women

Citing a commitment to making the U.S. immigration system more "humane," the Biden administration announced Friday that it barred Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from detaining pregnant or nursing women, absent "exceptional circumstances."

"Given the unique needs of this population, we will not detain individuals known to be pregnant, postpartum or nursing unless release is prohibited by law or exceptional circumstances exist," said Tae Johnson, the interim head of ICE. "This reflects our commitment to treat all individuals with respect and dignity while still enforcing our nation's laws." Johnson had issued a directive to his deportation agents earlier this month establishing the new restrictions, which are part of a broader Biden administration effort to reverse sweeping Trump-era deportation policies and narrow who ICE agents should arrest.