Every day, there is a new story of ICE’s complete disregard for human life. The Mirror US recently published a report stating that a woman in Chicago was arrested by ICE just days after giving birth via C-section.
And just like most ICE cases involving the horrific treatment of women and children, this one has also reignited intense scrutiny over the agency’s immigration enforcement tactics, especially toward new mothers.
Reportedly, the newborn was still in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) when agents picked up the mother and essentially separated the newborn from her during a critical post-operative period.
Her baby was in the NICU. She was in ICE detention.
Nayra Guzmán was arrested 15 days after her daughter’s difficult birth. Before Trump took office, postpartum immigrants were rarely detained by ICE.
@The19thNews reports: https://t.co/9Ppe0FmGf6 pic.twitter.com/nLgkuDslQp
— Block Club Chicago (@BlockClubCHI) December 2, 2025
ICE has been conducting an intensive immigration crackdown in Chicago, and this case is one of many where vulnerable people were detained without any arrest warrant. The current operation is known as Operation Midway Blitz, which began in September 2025. Several federal and ICE agents have been roaming around the city and picking up suspected individuals. They have been visiting workplaces, day-care centers, and even courthouses.
Arizona Mirror also published a follow-up. According to reports, the detained mother was identified as Nayra Guzmán, who was taken into custody 15 days after the birth of her daughter. At the time of her arrest, the baby was still in the NICU, struggling to stay alive and under vital care.
Guzmán reportedly suffers from Type 1 diabetes. She claimed that while in detention, she was not given proper care for her medical condition and did not have adequate access to food or water. She did not receive any postpartum care, either.
ICE detain mother days after emergency C-section—leave her baby abandoned in NICU relying on ventilator to breathe.
Denied postpartum medical care—even just a breast pump—causing her milk to dry up.
She was finally released—but with flu symptoms keeping her separated from baby… pic.twitter.com/h1ZOPn1WEj
— LongTime🤓FirstTime👨💻 (@LongTimeHistory) December 4, 2025
Guzmán was detained at the processing center facility in Broadview. This center has been described as overcrowded and medically inadequate by several groups. It has now become the focal point of protests after facing criticism from all sides.
Several immigrant-rights lawyers and supporters have condemned the arrest and called it inhumane. A spokesperson for Guzmán said that the case highlights the urgent need for the current administration to bring change and better safeguard young mothers against long-standing harmful practices in such centers.
However, critics have argued that the arrest was made long before internal guidelines were established regarding the handling of medically compromised individuals. These guidelines discourage agents from making such arrests, especially involving postpartum mothers.
Federal officials and ICE supporters continue to claim that such efforts are part of a broader enforcement strategy. They argue that it is their responsibility to arrest undocumented immigrants, particularly those with criminal records, in order to ensure national security.
For now, the story of Nayra Guzmán raises important questions. There are significant moral, legal, and medical concerns about the lengths ICE agents are willing to go to and the devastating cost families pay in the aftermath.
