ACLU of Virginia file emergency petition for Anabella Gyasi, a pregnant Ghanaian wey don dey detained with her four-year-old son for Dulles Airport for over one week.
Dem bin arrive on May 19 with valid tourist visas, but Customs and Border Protection hold dem for a windowless room wey get only one bed, toilet, and sink. No food wey dey adequate, no hygiene, no medical care.
Ms. Gyasi come to US to get medical treatment for her son wey get physical abnormalities for both hands. Doctors for Ghana tell her say the boy too small for surgery for 2024, so she come back for pre-operation appointment for Ohio.
But when CBP question her, she express fear to return to Ghana because of persecution. Dem take her and her son into custody and keep dem for the hold room since then.
The room dey locked 24 hours. Ms. Gyasi don go hospital two times because of stress-related complications, including vaginal bleeding and high blood pressure. Doctors give her medication and send her back to Dulles.
On May 23, she beg CBP to allow her buy food for herself and son. Dem deny her. She sign deportation order out of desperation, thinking say she prefer to go back than continue to suffer hunger. But ACLU say she no abandon her asylum claim.
ACLU lawyers say CBP dey break the law by detaining vulnerable persons like pregnant women and children. DHS deny the allegations, say everybody for custody get access to care, food, and medicine.
Federal judge Leonie Brinkema order the government to show legal basis for the detention or release dem immediately. The case dey for Eastern District of Virginia.
Immigration attorneys and medical professionals report say since Trump executive order on birthright citizenship, many pregnant and postpartum women dey detained in shocking numbers.
Congressional reports document abuses like one woman wey bleed for days before dem take her to hospital, where she miscarry alone without water or medical help for over 24 hours. Another woman wey beg for medical attention, officers tell her to ‘just drink water.’
ACLU Legal Director Eden Heilman say CBP put Ms. Gyasi for impossible position: either risk her life and unborn child to improve her son’s life, or return home to safe pregnancy but unsafe conditions for her son.
