Planned Parenthood President Reacts to Reports of Forced Hysterectomies in ICE Detention Center
For Immediate Release: Sept. 15, 2020
Washington — Planned Parenthood Federation of America president and CEO Alexis McGill Johnson and Planned Parenthood Southeast president and CEO Staci Fox released the following statements in response to allegations that women are being forced to undergo hysterectomies at an ICE detention center.
Statement from Alexis McGill Johnson, President and CEO of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America:
“I am horrified by reports that immigrant women trapped in an ICE detention center are being subjected to forced and coerced hysterectomies, often without their full knowledge or consent. Immigrants are human beings with autonomy and rights, not bodies to be experimented on, and one’s documentation status should not change that. The history of forced sterilization in the United States is long, dark, disturbing, and dehumanizing. Preventing women, particularly Black women and women of color, from having full autonomy over their bodies and reproductive futures is white supremacy in action. We will work with our partners however we can to immediately stop this practice, not just in detention centers, but also in the prison system and globally, where these atrocities continue.”
Statement from Staci Fox, President and CEO, Planned Parenthood Southeast
“I was sickened to learn that a Georgia detention center is performing forced hysterectomies and ignoring COVID safety protocols. It is absolutely despicable and it is part of the ongoing dehumanization of immigrants and people of color in this country. Bodily autonomy and basic human rights do not end at the gates of ICE detention centers. We stand with Project South, the Government Accountability Project, and other partners fighting to end these inhumane practices and hold the people who perpetuate them accountable.”
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Planned Parenthood is the nation’s leading provider and advocate of high-quality, affordable health care for women, men, and young people, as well as the nation’s largest provider of sex education. With more than 600 health centers across the country, Planned Parenthood organizations serve all patients with care and compassion, with respect and without judgment. Through health centers, programs in schools and communities, and online resources, Planned Parenthood is a trusted source of reliable health information that allows people to make informed health decisions. We do all this because we care passionately about helping people lead healthier lives.