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Independent topical source of current affairs, opinion and issues, featuring stories making news in Canada from immigrants, newcomers, minorities & ethnic communities' point of view and interests.

Washington State: Women and Sites Cause

washington state: It alleges that several women were held for weeks despite a memorandum issued last year by Thomas Homan, who is now acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which oversees the custody of immigrants detained for having entered the United States illegally, according to Metro News. That memo says pregnant women are generally not to be detained absent extraordinary circumstances or the requirement of mandatory detention. The complaint filed by the American Civil Liberties Union and other groups asks DHS to investigate the cases of 10 women who were held at facilities in California, Texas, and Washington state. Lawyers and advocates for immigrants being held in detention facilities have long argued that the sites cause physical and psychological harm. An agency spokeswoman, Jennifer Elzea, said ICE was committed to ensuring the health, safety, and welfare of all those in our care. Federal officials say immigrant detention is a necessary part of better border security and reducing illegal immigration.ICE said in a statement that it gives pregnancy screenings to all women up to the age of 56, and offers prenatal care and access to specialists for women remaining in custody. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.