1. United States
2. Letter

“Is there any sign of life?” “Have we heard a heartbeat?” “Does she feel any kicking?” “We don’t have the equipment to do that.” Those chilling words are from a 911 call placed by a nurse inside an ICE detention center near Denver, pleading for help as a four-months-pregnant woman bled and cried out in pain. That call captures the inhumanity of ICE detention—not as an exception, but as a reflection of a system-wide crisis. Across the country, ICE facilities are plagued by severe medical neglect and abuse. In just the first few months of this year, the 10 largest centers placed nearly 400 emergency 911 calls, including: • Over 50 potential cardiac episodes • 26 seizures • 17 head injuries • 6 reports of sexual assault—including by staff • Pregnancy complications in more than half of the facilities And that’s only what reached emergency services. Most medical emergencies never leave the gates. Worse still, the abuse runs deeper: • In Texas, adults and children are forced to fight for clean water. • Disabled detainees, including amputees, are denied prosthetics and wheelchairs. • A 68-year-old man died in custody this May during transport in Georgia, with no timely medical response. • At Miami’s Krome facility, multiple deaths have occurred amid overcrowding and neglect. • At Irwin County Detention Center, women were subjected to invasive gynecological procedures—often without consent. These are not isolated mistakes—they are features of a system run by private prison corporations like CoreCivic and GEO. Their track record includes dozens of deaths, chronic understaffing, and near-total lack of transparency. Meanwhile, ICE has slashed internal oversight, inspections, and complaint mechanisms, leaving detainees with nowhere to turn. We are funding this. With taxpayer dollars, we are financing cruelty, neglect, and abuse under the banner of immigration enforcement. This is not a broken system—it’s one operating exactly as designed during the Trump administration. That design must be dismantled. I urge you to: • Launch a full congressional investigation and public hearings into ICE detention centers • Restore independent oversight and transparent reporting • End government contracts with private prison operators • Take steps toward the abolition of ICE and the creation of a humane, rights-respecting immigration system Medical care, clean water, and safety are not political—they are basic human rights. If you stand for dignity, accountability, and justice, then act now.