Juana Villegas from Mexico was nine months pregnant when she was stopped for a traffic violation, for which she was later found innocent. Because of an agreement between local police and federal immigration authorities, she was detained in jail where she was shackled. As Juana began to go into labor, she was shackled in transit to the hospital and while giving birth. She was not allowed to use a breast pump or nurse her newborn child. She talks of her pain after giving birth, “The nurse brought me a breast pump… she asked permission for me to take it to jail… again the sheriff said, no.” Watch Juana’s story and take action to ensure that the U.S. government stops the continued use of local law enforcement to enforce federal immigration law.
Is 2010 the Year for Immigration Reform?
287G | Deportation | Detention | Due Process | Enforcement | Fair Day in Court | Family | Immigration | LGBTQI | Video
On the very same day that health care reform passed in Congress, Restore Fairness joined 200,000 workers, families and communities to march for just and humane immigration reform. The atmosphere was electric. Crowds chanting slogans, waving American flags, reasserting the need to restore fundamental human rights to our broken immigration system, cheering President Obama as … More »
3 Responses to “Shackled and Detained: A Pregnant Woman’s Story”
so unfair…….it seems that there is a lot of people out there with no feelings…..we need a change and we need it now.
[...] cans and bathe in rivers for several months. Luckily, his mother found him several months later. Or Juana Villegas, who was driving in Nashville (within Davidson County’s 287(g) jurisdiction) when she was [...]
Read this trackback on the original site.[...] to an ICE detention center and later deported. Another lawsuit has been filed on behalf of Juana Villegas after she was detained and shackled to a bed while giving [...]
Read this trackback on the original site.