Emine Ş discovered she was pregnant the day she was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE.)

For years, Emine and her husband, Batuhan, — asylum seekers from Turkey who asked that their last names not be used out of fear for their safety — had been longing to have a child. Instead of it being a joyous occasion, after suffering a miscarriage last summer, she finds herself more anxious each day because, she says, she cannot get proper care at Henderson Detention Center, where she is being held.

Emine was detained by ICE following a minor domestic dispute that was dismissed by the court.  Batuhan insisted she should not have been arrested. 

Despite Emine’s pregnancy being diagnosed as high-risk, in the more than 100 days she has been detained, the couple say she has received minimal medical care and zero prenatal checkups. In one instance, she was taken to the doctor for a fever, but the physician refused to provide treatment, stating they could not understand her due to a language barrier, her husband told The Indy over an email he had translated using ChatGPT.

“Every time my wife and I talk on the phone, she expresses her concerns about her pregnancy,” Batuhan wrote in a letter he shared with The Indy. “This situation is disrupting my life outside, leaving me feeling helpless and devastated.” 

Emine and Batuhan came to the U.S. in 2023, fleeing Turkey after facing death threats and attacks from family members. Shortly after arriving in the U.S., the couple filed for asylum. Emine’s hearing was scheduled for 2028, but after her arrest, the immigration court moved the date up to November and denied her application.  

Emine’s detention raises several questions about the treatment of pregnant individuals in ICE custody, signaling a reversal of a long-standing policy that the agency should not generally detain or arrest individuals known to be pregnant or nursing. It also raises questions about how individuals in ICE custody can access reproductive health care given that policy. Recent reporting from Mother Jones has found that ICE has not paid any third-party providers for medical care since October 2025 and currently has no mechanism to provide prenatal care. 

It is unclear if any prenatal care is available for detainees at the Henderson Detention Center. The City of Henderson said in a statement that due to privacy laws, it is not able to comment on or discuss the medical care of any specific individual in custody. They told The Indy to reach out to ICE for specific concerns.

“The medical care for inmates in the Detention Center is of utmost importance, especially those who are medically fragile,” the City of Henderson added in a statement Friday afternoon. “Inmates have access to onsite healthcare and may request additional or specialized care to address their medical needs.”

ICE did not return a request for comment

Policy at the Henderson Detention Center, where Emine is being held, is of particular importance in Nevada. It is the ICE facility that holds the most women in Nevada. The state’s largest detention facility, the Nevada Southern Detention Center, holds none. As of December 2025, about 20 women were detained at the Henderson facility — in comparison to the 13 women held at the end of 2024 — with space to hold up to 30.

Per its contract with the U.S. Marshal Service, the Henderson Detention Center must “provide federal detainees the same level and range of care inside the facility as to state and local detainees.” As of 2021, U.S. Marshal Service policy stipulates that pregnant women in its custody must have access to timely and appropriate prenatal, postpartum and specialized obstetrical services “when indicated.” 

On top of the miscarriage she suffered last year, Emine’s pregnancy comes with additional complications. Her husband’s family has a history of Down syndrome, according to emails shared with The Indy, increasing the need for genetic testing, and she was hospitalized in October after experiencing cramping. In November, Emine was also attacked by her cellmate, but it's unclear if there have been any repercussions for the incident. 

The nine emails that Batuhan and his lawyers have sent to ICE officials demanding medical treatment and prenatal care have all gone unanswered.

Systemic negligence

Emine’s treatment is part of a wider trend of pregnant women being detained and denied medical treatment by ICE. 

In October, the American Civil Liberties Union sent a letter to Congress and immigration officials regarding the detention of dozens of pregnant women nationwide, many reporting they were shackled and neglected by ICE. Like Emine, several of those women were detained following domestic disputes, raising concerns about what could happen to domestic violence victims.

Several studies revealed that women who were pregnant while in custody had increased miscarriage rates, increased premature birth rates and increased rates of medically unnecessary C-sections.

Laura Hernández, executive director of Freedom for Immigrants, an immigrant-led advocacy group, told The Indy in a statement that they have heard of several instances of immigrant women being subjected to non-consensual and forced gynecological procedures, including forced hysterectomies, while in ICE detention.

“In detention, people are routinely denied basic and life-saving medical care and are deprived of their autonomy to make their own health decisions,” Hernández wrote in an email. “This neglect is further compounded for people in need of specialized prenatal care.”

For a previous story, ICE told The Indy that it is “a longstanding practice” to provide comprehensive medical care from the moment an immigrant enters ICE custody, including medical, dental, and mental health intake screening within 12 hours of arriving at each detention facility. They also said they provide access to medical appointments and 24-hour emergency care.

"This is the best health care that many aliens have received in their entire lives," Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told the Indy this October. 

I feel like I am about to lose all hope … 

Since moving to Las Vegas, Batuhan describes their lives as having fallen apart. 

The couple originally immigrated to California in 2023, but due to the high cost of living, decided to move to Nevada in April 2025 to “see how things would go.” Batuhan describes their life in the United States as solitary with no family here and his struggles to communicate with others in his limited English. 

Since their arrival in Nevada, misfortune upon misfortune befell the family. Batuhan’s mother died in May and a couple months before Emine’s mother suffered a stroke, becoming bedridden. Rising political tensions made the couple nervous, so much so that they were afraid to leave the house. Batuhan confessed that, at times, he has even contemplated suicide. 

After he speaks to Emine on the phone, he often breaks down and cries. 

“Just when I feel like I am about to lose all hope … I think about our unborn baby,” Batuhan said. 

However, Batuhan says he remains hopeful that Emine will be released, given that she was detained due to a misunderstanding and that there are hundreds of individuals in ICE detention who have serious criminal records. The couple has filed an appeal to the immigration court and has started a GoFundMe account to help cover legal expenses and medical care.

“I trust the American judges,” Batuhan told The Indy. “I believe they will take into account the hardships we have endured, the medical care we repeatedly requested but did not receive, and most importantly, the tears of an expectant mother.”

Updated at 9:13 a.m on 01/23/2026 to clarify Emine's medical care and at 6 p.m. to include the City of Henderson’s statement.