There are things I expect from an administration that treats immigration as a war instead of a policy. Raids. Detentions. Show-of-force press conferences meant to scare people into silence. Hell, I expect cruelty — Trump’s made it clear that’s part of the design.
But even I wasn’t prepared for this.
This month, new reporting revealed that ICE has begun tracking pregnant women through government-issued smartwatches — devices that can’t be removed even during medical emergencies, including childbirth.
And the story of one woman in Colorado makes it painfully clear just how far this program has already gone, and how much further it’s designed to reach.
She walked into a hospital in early September, nine months pregnant. Her labor wasn’t progressing normally, and the medical team soon realized she’d need a C-section.
Under any normal circumstances, the next steps would be routine: remove any metal or electronics that could cause burns or electrical injury, and get the patient into surgery.
Except she couldn’t remove the device on her wrist.
Because ICE — and the private contractor that runs its surveillance technology — had mandated she wear it at all times.
Even while in labor.
Even while heading into surgery.
Even while terrified the government monitoring her might think she was trying to run.
The watch was beeping because the battery was dying. The woman understood exactly what that meant: if it shut off, ICE might read it as noncompliance. She told hospital staff she feared they would “take her baby.”
This is the United States in 2025.
And she wasn’t the only one. Hospital workers say they’ve treated at least three pregnant women in recent months wearing these devices, all scared to remove them even when medically necessary.
This isn’t an isolated screw-up. It’s part of a broader shift — one that’s already having measurable effects on healthcare nationwide.
Before we get into it, a quick note:
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