Pregnant Migrant Youth in Texas Face Risky Conditions Due to Lack of Specialized Care
Concerns are rising over the Trump administration’s decision to detain pregnant migrant children in a Texas area known for inadequate specialized obstetric care. An investigation by The Texas Newsroom and The California Newsroom reveals the policy persists despite concerns from officials and Congress members.
According to government documents, four of the 21 pregnant girls taken to the region over the past months were moved out of Texas to access specialized medical services, such as abortions, which are not available locally.
“The first time that happened should have been a wake-up call for the administration, and they should have stopped placing kids in any remote area where they can’t get care,” said Jen Smyers, who was involved with the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) during the Biden administration. She criticized the policy of sending pregnant children to South Texas as “enraging.”
An investigation earlier this year by The Texas Newsroom and The California Newsroom uncovered that the administration was placing pregnant minors, some as young as 13, in a San Benito facility. Many of these girls were pregnant due to rape, raising alarms due to the high-risk nature of adolescent pregnancies and the lack of proper obstetric care in the area.
The administration has denied the existence of such a policy, insisting that the girls receive necessary care. In September, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) stated, “ORR’s policies for placing children in its custody into care provider facilities are based on child welfare best practices in order to provide a safe environment and place the child in the least restrictive setting appropriate for the child’s needs.”
Nonetheless, internal documents and interviews suggest a different story. Records obtained through a public records request show ORR directed staff to place all pregnant minors at a San Benito shelter in July 2025. By spring, pregnant girls were reportedly being sent to a different nearby shelter.
Forty-eight Democratic Congress members demanded transparency in a letter to HHS, receiving a response that ORR decisions are not based on a “one-size-fits-all approach.” However, discrepancies between this statement and internal records remain unaddressed by HHS.
Unaccompanied minors have been increasingly detained in Texas, with 95% of the approximately 300 children apprehended in September placed there, up from 45% in June. Critics argue the state is unprepared to handle such vulnerable populations, pointing to the need to transfer several pregnant minors out of Texas for medical care.
“If the government had to fly or transport these pregnant children across the country to get them the medical care they need, why on earth did it deliberately send them to Texas in the first place?” questioned U.S. Rep. Judy Chu, a Democrat from California.
ORR holds children in group or foster homes, unlike Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which uses larger facilities. ORR is required to provide comprehensive healthcare and education, but recent records show that between July 2025 and May 2026, four pregnant girls needed transfers for treatment unavailable locally.
Among these, one pregnant 12-year-old had to be moved from Texas to New York due to the limited availability of specialists, according to ORR records.
Marsha Griffin, a retired pediatrics professor, emphasized the inherent high-risk nature of adolescent pregnancies, particularly for girls aged 10 to 14. She highlighted the lack of medical staff and specialized care in the region.
Internal communications further reveal that ORR’s division of health warned about the insufficient pregnancy-related healthcare in the Rio Grande Valley. Despite these warnings, ORR continued to place pregnant children in the San Benito area.
Tracey Wilkinson, a pediatrician specializing in reproductive healthcare, stressed the danger of waiting until emergencies arise to transfer children for care, underscoring the criticality of timely medical attention for pregnant minors.
After the policy was exposed, U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro initiated an inquiry and visited the San Benito shelter. However, no mention was made of the change in the shelter’s use during his visit. Castro criticized ORR for not allowing him access to speak with the children, describing the visit as “very secretive.”
Chu accused the administration of deliberately misleading Congress and the public regarding the location and treatment of pregnant minors.
In response to inquiries, HHS maintained that “there have been no operational changes regarding the placement of pregnant unaccompanied children.” Meanwhile, Compass Connections, operating the Los Fresnos shelter, referred questions to HHS.
California offers greater support for pregnant girls in federal custody than Texas, according to advocates and Congress members. The state has increased funding for legal services for undocumented minors as federal support has waned.
Advocates allege the administration is intentionally placing pregnant children in Texas to limit their access to abortions, given the state’s restrictive laws. HHS, however, denies attempting to restrict such access.
U.S. Rep. Gil Cisneros emphasized California’s comprehensive reproductive healthcare access, allowing minors to make informed decisions with healthcare professionals.
This article was originally written by www.npr.org
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