U.S. immigration officials are under standing orders to provide abortion services for detained illegal aliens in some circumstances and hormone therapy to those who say they are transgendered.
The orders to do so are included in the
“2011 Operations Manual ICE Performance-Based National Detention Standards” for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement division of the Department of Homeland Security.
Detention facilities are required to provide female detainees with “pregnancy services including routine or specialized prenatal care, postpartum follow-up, lactation services and abortion services," the
manual dictates.
The government will pay for an abortion in cases of rape or incest, or if the mother's life is in danger, according to the manual. In other cases, the female detainee who wants to halt a pregnancy must pay for the abortion, but Immigration and Customs Enforcement will cover transportation costs to and from the abortion clinic.
The guidelines, which CNSNews.com highlighted in a report today, require a specially trained officer to interview aliens within 12 hours of detention.
“Transgender detainees who were already receiving hormone therapy when taken into ICE custody shall have continued access,” according to the
regulations. “All transgender detainees shall have access to mental health care, and other transgender-related health care and medication based on medical need. Treatment shall follow accepted guidelines regarding medically necessary transition-related care.”
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