Pregnant Asylum Seeker Faces Deportation from Atlanta Amid Medical Crisis
A 21-year-old woman who is eight months pregnant and experiencing significant medical distress is facing imminent deportation from the United States, according to human rights attorneys who are pleading for emergency assistance. The case has highlighted ongoing concerns about the treatment of pregnant detainees under current immigration policies.
Urgent Medical Situation at Atlanta Airport
Zharick Daniela Buitrago Ortiz is currently at Atlanta International Airport, scheduled for removal to Colombia, despite reporting severe symptoms including shooting abdominal and back pain, nausea, and vomiting. Her attorney, Anthony Enriquez, Vice-President of US Advocacy and Litigation at the Kennedy Human Rights Center, stated that she has requested medical care but has been denied treatment.
"We are trying to get her the medical attention she needs immediately," Enriquez said. "We are immediately moving to file a lawsuit just to preserve the status quo and to ensure that our client gets the medical care she needs."
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials in Atlanta have verified that the deportation is proceeding and that the woman is at the airport, though detailed comment has been referred to the agency's El Paso office.
Background of the Asylum Case
Ortiz and her mother crossed the border into Texas in November, seeking asylum after her father was reportedly killed for confronting corruption. While her mother was permitted to file an asylum application following a "credible fear" hearing, Ortiz herself was not granted this opportunity and instead received an order of expedited removal.
This case emerges against a backdrop of policy changes regarding pregnant detainees. Although ICE maintains a policy that pregnant women should normally not be detained, Enriquez argues this is not being applied in practice. "That policy, although it exists on paper still, it's not being applied," he noted, suggesting this aligns with a broader approach to detain and deport pregnant women as quickly as possible.
Broader Context of Pregnancy and Deportation
The situation is complicated by birthright citizenship laws, where children born on US soil automatically become citizens. This legal right, currently under challenge by the Trump administration and before the US Supreme Court, can create additional complexities in deportation proceedings involving pregnant women.
Civil rights leaders have raised serious concerns about medical care for pregnant detainees, with reports of:
- Inadequate medical attention during detention
- Instances of bleeding and miscarriages
- Shackling of pregnant women
- General medical neglect in immigration custody
These issues have become particularly pronounced since the current administration took office, with advocates noting a pattern of detaining and deporting pregnant women that contradicts established policy guidelines.
Legal and Humanitarian Implications
The Kennedy Human Rights Center's intervention represents a critical test of how US immigration authorities handle cases involving vulnerable populations. The urgent legal action being pursued aims not only to secure medical care for Ortiz but also to challenge what attorneys describe as systematic failures in protecting pregnant asylum seekers.
As the deportation flight prepares to depart, human rights organizations continue to monitor the situation closely, emphasizing the potential life-threatening consequences of removing a woman in advanced pregnancy without adequate medical support.
