(The Center Square)–Contrary to a local media report and claim by a Democratic congresswoman, medical care was provided to a Guatemalan woman detained by immigration authorities – and she was detained because she was wanted in connection to a homicide, the Department of Homeland Security said.
A local news outlet in Nashville reported that Guatemalan national Iris Dayana Monterroso-Lemu, who was illegally living in Lenoir City near Knoxville, miscarried after she was arrested and detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
In response, U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal said, “A pregnant woman lost her baby after ICE refused to give her prenatal care. She begged for help and was denied. She was fed food full of cockroaches. She was forced to sleep on the floor. This is absolutely disgusting and we should all be outraged.”
After her arrest in March, Monterroso-Lemu was transferred to different detention facilities in Illinois, Tennessee, Alabama and eventually to the Richwood Correctional Center in Louisiana.
The Nashville Banner includes several quotes from Monterroso-Lemu, claiming ICE arrests are being conducted “in a cloak of secrecy.”
Monterroso-Lemu was twice arrested for child abuse/neglect by the Loudon County Sheriff’s Office.
She also had an active warrant charging homicide in Guatemala. She illegally entered the U.S. in 2018 under the first Trump administration and was deported to Guatemala on May 9, 2025, DHS said.
The outlet cites Monterroso-Lemu claiming federal officials “didn’t give me medical attention, nowhere, not in Louisiana, not in Alabama,” which DHS says is false. “She received prenatal care, including an ultrasound and OB-GYN visit, dental care, and medication. She was also admitted to a hospital and saw multiple nurses,” DHS said.
She also claims she “asked for ultrasound” but was “only tested for blood pressure and urine,” according to the news outlet.
DHS says this claim is also false and that she received “prenatal care including a fetal doppler ultrasound.”
The news outlet quotes her claiming she “thought she was having a stroke, but they didn’t give her medical exam.”
DHS said that “as soon as she identified the distress on April 29, ICE provided immediate medical assistance.”
The outlet also claims she “begged to go to the hospital, but was told no;” DHS says ICE officers “sent her to a hospital immediately to receive medical care” and has medical records to prove it.
The report also states that she claims she was sleeping on the floor at a facility in Alabama, which DHS refuted as false, saying she “had a bed in her cell.”
She is also quoted as saying, “She was starving and not getting the nutrients she needed. Spaghetti had cockroaches.”
Everyone detained in ICE facilities “are provided appropriate dietician cleared menus daily, per ICE Performance Based National Detention Standards,” DHS said.
The news outlet also cites her claiming she was mistreated and mocked by guards; DHS says there are no records of any grievance claims filed.
DHS says it has documentation to prove she was provided with a range of medical care. The care she received was at no charge to her. It was funded by U.S. taxpayers.
DHS agencies regularly report on the condition of those in detention, including those injured or who die while in federal custody.
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