The Dignity and Sanctity of Immigrant Lives: A pro-life conversation
Why pro-life conviction should include pregnant moms in ICE custody
If you have felt the tension around immigration lately, you are not alone.
Many of us hold two convictions at the same time: we want safe, secure borders and the rule of law, and we also believe every human life bears the image of God, including immigrant moms and their babies.
Right now, those convictions are colliding in a heartbreaking way.
Multiple reports indicate that pregnant, postpartum, and nursing women are being detained by ICE, even though federal guidance has said they should generally not be arrested or detained except in narrow circumstances.
And when vulnerable women are placed in detention settings, the risks are not theoretical. They are medical, real, and preventable.
What we are seeing, and why it matters
Pregnancy and early postpartum are not “business as usual” seasons. They require consistent medical care, adequate nutrition, and timely emergency treatment.
A Government Accountability Office (GAO) report reviewing care for pregnant women in DHS facilities highlights the complexity of the system and longstanding concerns about adequate care in detention settings.
In recent months, investigative reporting and advocacy groups have raised fresh concerns about pregnant and postpartum women in immigration detention, including gaps in prenatal care, poor conditions, and high-stakes outcomes.
We also know this issue is not abstract. There are mothers with names, babies with names, and families in real communities. One widely reported case, confirmed by our friends on the ground, involved a nursing Burmese refugee mother moved by ICE while breastfeeding and awaiting specialized medical care, later ordered released by a federal judge.
From a pro-life perspective, this should stop us in our tracks.
Because whatever you believe about the broader immigration debate, detaining pregnant and nursing moms is not required for immigration enforcement, and it is not consistent with a life ethic that protects the vulnerable.
A pro-life coalition is speaking up
That is why a coalition of more than 30 pro-life organizations and thought leaders has issued an open letter to President Trump, Secretary Noem, and Acting ICE Director Lyons calling for the immediate reinstatement and enforcement of protections that prevent the detention of pregnant, postpartum, and nursing women, except in truly exceptional circumstances.
The letter’s core point is simple:
Pregnancy and early postpartum require care that detention facilities are structurally unable to provide.
And the request is straightforward, too:
Reaffirm and enforce guidance that limits detention of pregnant, postpartum, and nursing women
Require higher-level approval before any such detention
Restore transparency in reporting
Use alternatives to detention whenever possible
In other words: enforce the law, and protect mothers and babies while you do it. That should be common ground.
A pro-life conversation we do not want you to miss
Women of Welcome hosted a conversation with two pro-life leaders to talk about this moment and how Christians can respond with conviction and compassion.
In the video, you will hear:
Why language matters and how dehumanizing labels make it easier to justify harm
Why this is not about “no enforcement,” but about humane enforcement
Why “love them both” is not just a pro-life slogan, but a consistent Christian posture
What practical alternatives to detention can look like for vulnerable moms
You do not need a policy degree to understand the heart of this. You just need the courage to see people as people.
The resources mentioned in the video:
Article about 30+ pro-life organizations uniting to oppose ICE detention of pregnant and nursing women
Letter we are asking you to sign onto to protect immigrant mothers
Report: The Abuse of Pregnant Women and Children in U.S. Immigration Detention
ICE’s own report: Alternatives to Detention
What you can do right now
We are inviting Women of Welcome to take one clear step today:
Add your name to the open letter urging the administration to protect pregnant, postpartum, and nursing women in immigration custody.
This is a pro-life ask. This is a human dignity ask. This is a “let’s not make vulnerable moms and babies pay the price” ask.
A closing word for our community
At Women of Welcome, we are not here to perform outrage or trade in fear. We are here to follow Jesus into Christ-like welcome, to tell the truth, and to take faithful next steps.
So let’s do the thing we always do. Let’s pray for leaders, tell the truth about what is at stake, refuse dehumanizing language, and stand up for moms and babies made in the image of God.
Because being pro-life should not end at the border, the ballot box, or the comment section. It should look like protecting life wherever it is most vulnerable.
