{"id":7759,"date":"2025-12-01T05:55:26","date_gmt":"2025-12-01T11:55:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/index.php\/2025\/12\/01\/undocumented-mothers-in-missouri-navigate-pregnancy-postpartum-as-ice-threats-loom-2\/"},"modified":"2025-12-01T05:55:26","modified_gmt":"2025-12-01T11:55:26","slug":"undocumented-mothers-in-missouri-navigate-pregnancy-postpartum-as-ice-threats-loom-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/index.php\/2025\/12\/01\/undocumented-mothers-in-missouri-navigate-pregnancy-postpartum-as-ice-threats-loom-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Undocumented mothers in Missouri navigate pregnancy, postpartum as ICE threats loom"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"684\" src=\"https:\/\/missouriindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/GettyImages-2193563646-1024x684.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Missouri nonprofits and community health workers who serve undocumented women who are pregnant or postpartum say many clients are skipping doctor&#8217;s appointments out of fear of deportation (Getty Images).<\/p>\n<p><span>Oscarina spent the first week of her son\u2019s life moving between his bassinet in the neonatal intensive care unit and her small apartment to care for her 6-year-old daughter.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>She is sore. She is tired. And she is alone.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Oscarina and her husband escaped violence in Venezuela and moved 2,000 miles north to Missouri in 2023, seeking more stable housing and a better future for their daughter. Neither have permanent legal status in the United States, and when she learned she had a second child on the way, Oscarina wondered how they could afford to raise another baby.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Eight weeks into the pregnancy, her husband was detained while delivering a DoorDash order. He was deported back to Venezuela a short time later.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cAll my pregnancy, I cried every single day,\u201d Oscarina, who lives in Kansas City and asked not to use her full name out of fear of deportation, told The Independent through an interpreter.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>When she went into labor prematurely last month, her husband cried as he called in over video from Venezuela.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>When their daughter was born, he helped with night feedings. This time, there is no help. And what little money her family had saved up quickly disappeared during the deportation process.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Now she lives in constant fear about what would happen if she gets detained.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>There are days her oldest child doesn\u2019t attend school because Oscarina worries she could be taken while walking her to the bus stop.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>She wonders what the point of the \u201cAmerican Dream\u201d is. Her family suffered under Venezuela\u2019s dictatorship, and in America she suffers, too.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cI would like to go back to my country,\u201d Oscarina said. \u201cBut my husband is saying that things are very bad there right now, and I don\u2019t think it\u2019s a good idea to bring both of the kids right now.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>So they will remain separated.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cI live in fear every day,\u201d Oscarina said. \u201c \u2026 It\u2019s too heavy to carry being by myself with my daughter and my little boy and not having my husband because he will always care for us. The fact that he doesn\u2019t get to be with us, everything changed for us.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p>        <a href=\"https:\/\/missouriindependent.com\/subscribe\"><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"subscribeShortcodeContainer\">\n<div class=\"subscribeTextContainer\">\n                <i class=\"fas fa-envelope\"><\/i>\n<p>GET THE MORNING HEADLINES.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"subscribeButtonContainer\">\n                <button>SUBSCRIBE<\/button>\n            <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>        <\/p>\n<p><span>Oscarina\u2019s story is one of many shared with The Independent over the past month as women who are undocumented in Missouri navigate pregnancy, birth and postpartum without legal paperwork.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Several community health care workers, doulas and nonprofits that work with immigrants and expectant mothers shared the struggles the families face. Few were willing to speak on the record, fearful that federal agents could target their offices or the federal government could restrict funding if they spoke out about their work with undocumented immigrants.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The organizations located across Missouri shared stories of pregnant and postpartum women who\u2019ve shuttered themselves in their homes. Many are facing labor or postpartum in isolation, their husbands deported and the fear of the same fate keeping them housebound, at times too afraid to seek medical care.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Since President Donald Trump returned to office in January, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has been increasingly visible on America\u2019s streets, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/thebeaconnews.org\/stories\/2025\/10\/09\/ice-arrests-immigrant-workers-liberty\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span>including in Missouri<\/span><\/a><span>, sparking protests across the state and nation. Arrests have made headlines as videos circulate of ICE agents detaining parents at <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kpbs.org\/news\/border-immigration\/2025\/08\/08\/what-we-know-about-ice-arrest-of-a-parent-outside-a-chula-vista-elementary-school\" target=\"_blank\"><span>school drop-offs<\/span><\/a><span> and arresting teachers, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/immigration\/2025\/11\/05\/chicago-preschool-ice-arrest\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span>including inside a preschool.\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span>In rare cases, ICE has reportedly posted up<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2025\/05\/03\/us\/deportation-asylum-tucson-guatemalan-woman-birth\" target=\"_blank\"><span> outside maternity wards.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span>Under previous administrations, schools, hospitals and churches were considered sanctuary spaces where ICE was not allowed under almost any circumstances. That changed this year, raising new fears for families with young children like Oscarina.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cThis is the worst that I\u2019ve seen in many, many years,\u201d said Eunice Cho, senior counsel at the ACLU National Prison Project.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Under former President Joe Biden\u2019s administration, pregnant women were protected from ICE detention. While that policy remains in place, the ACLU earlier this year uncovered several examples of women who were either <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aclu.org\/documents\/aclu-partners-demand-ice-release-pregnant-and-postpartum-people-from-ice-detention\" target=\"_blank\"><span>pregnant or miscarried while in federal detention centers.\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cThe trauma it has on children and parents and families is heartbreaking,\u201d Cho said. \u201cAnd it\u2019s completely unnecessary. These are families that have been living and working and contributing to our communities, often for years or decades.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>    <\/strong><\/p>\n<h4 class=\"editorialSubhed\">ICE threats send mothers, children into hiding in Missouri<\/h4>\n<p>\t<\/p>\n<p><span>Neysha Reyes Cruz is one of a handful of bilingual doulas in Missouri.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Through her company, Olas de Amor Doula Services, she has advocated for almost 90 women through pregnancy, birth and postpartum over the past three years. Of those 90, about 70 were undocumented, she said. This year, she estimates she\u2019s stood in as the support person for about half a dozen women who gave birth after a close family member was deported.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Reyes Cruz, who is from Puerto Rico and moved to Missouri in 2016, often serves as an interpreter as well as a doula for her clients, the majority of whom give birth in hospitals. But in recent months, as the threat of ICE raids permeates her Kansas City community, she said her job has increasingly expanded into helping families with more than birth.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\" wp-image-28359\" src=\"https:\/\/missouriindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/IMG_2176-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"937\" height=\"624\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Neysha Reyes Cruz, a doula and interpreter in Kansas City, has helped several undocumented women whose husbands were deported shortly before or shortly after their baby was born. (Photo provided by Neysha Reyes Cruz).<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span>The messages she gets from moms are often desperate. One recently asked Reyes Cruz if she could get her formula from the store after the mother said she saw ICE agents out on her street that day.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Many of her clients skip non-crucial doctor\u2019s appointments. Others miss WIC appointments or have been cut off from food stamps. She has a donation closet to help with clothing and baby supplies.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Instead of going to the pediatrician, many new moms instead call Reyes Cruz to ask if their baby is sick enough to warrant risking leaving the house. The child birth class she used to host in-person is now virtual because too many families feared driving to her.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cI have had moms that have withdrawn their kids from school and have just left the country so those kids never ended their school year. Mamas that were in situations where their partners became so depressed and anxious they started becoming abusive, and from there, having to find refuge for them,\u201d she said. \u201cThis is the hardest thing, finding a refuge for a mama that is single, is pregnant or with maybe older kids, does not speak English and doesn\u2019t have a prior family here.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>She encourages her clients to designate someone who is a citizen to get custody of their baby if they\u2019re deported. One mom requested that Reyes Cruz be that person for her baby girl.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cAs a doula, I\u2019m being pushed to support this community because they don\u2019t feel safe with anyone else,\u201d she said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>She fears the elevated stress thrust on these families is affecting their babies. Of the past 10 births she\u2019s attended, five were babies born prematurely.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"2vz5ljNlIw\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/missouriindependent.com\/2025\/11\/17\/missouri-infant-maternal-health-march-of-dimes\/\">Missouri still among worst states for infant, maternal health as new Medicaid cuts loom<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span>Reyes Cruz\u2019s experiences aren\u2019t unique.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>A health care provider in the Ozarks who was too afraid to speak on the record said she has Hispanic patients who fear coming into the clinic amid increasingly visible ICE raids around the country.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Other nonprofit workers shared the difficulties of helping parents obtain birth certificates for their newborn children so they could self-deport back to their home country. Legal aid groups help parents establish custody plans in case they are detained and their children are left alone.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Community health workers in urban centers of the state said they are doing more home health visits for pregnant and postpartum women who fear leaving the house, or who are waiting until later in pregnancy to see their doctors. Others help arrange Uber rides to get the women to their appointments.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cI\u2019m heartbroken for any woman who feels fearful to leave her home, especially to try to receive prenatal care,\u201d said Laura Brandt, director of Pregnancy Help Center of South County in St. Louis.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>She said her nonprofit serves anyone who walks through the door and doesn\u2019t question their status.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cThis is such a polarizing topic and people have a lot of really strong opinions going either way on the matter,\u201d Brandt said. \u201cRegardless of what your opinions are on a policy level, on a personal level, every human being is deserving of dignity and compassion and care.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>    <\/strong><\/p>\n<h4 class=\"editorialSubhed\">Some families turn to self-deportation<\/h4>\n<p>\t<\/p>\n<p><span>In just a couple days, Monica is self-deporting. She purchased a one-way flight from Kansas City back to Chile, where she is from. Her 6-month-old son will be on her lap.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Monica, who asked not to use her full name because she is undocumented, moved to the United States on Mother\u2019s Day last year, seeking better education opportunities for her son, who is 8.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>She learned she was pregnant a couple months later. She was sad to be experiencing a new life without her friends and family by her side.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>When she was less than two weeks postpartum, Monica said her husband became violent during an argument. She called her therapist, who reported the abuse to the police. He was arrested and deported back to his home country of Venezuela.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-28377 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/missouriindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/IMG_2001.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"727\" height=\"479\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Monica, who is undocumented, is self-deporting back to Chile with her 6-month-old and 8-year-old sons after her husband was deported from Missouri and she was left without the financial means to continue raising her children in the United States (Photo provided by Monica).<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span>Now alone, Monica can no longer afford to care for her two children on her own. She delivers for DoorDash, and on each trip she fears being caught by immigration agents. Her fear is amplified now that she has a second child. What happens to them if she\u2019s detained?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cLife got more difficult for me,\u201d she said through an interpreter as her son babbled from his perch on her hip.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Tim Rudolph, a St. Louis-based immigration attorney for Hacking Immigration Law, said it\u2019s not uncommon for people to self-deport in today\u2019s political climate.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>He encouraged anyone considering self-deportation to talk with a lawyer first, noting that if someone has a child who is a U.S. citizen, they may have some legal paths to staying in the country if they want to stay.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cEven though the government is saying \u2018if you leave you can come back the right way, we\u2019ll let you do it,\u2019 that\u2019s not often the case,\u201d Rudolph said. \u201cThat tends to be what they say to get people out of the country, and a lot of times you\u2019ll be barred from returning.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>While Monica doesn\u2019t yet know if she\u2019ll ever try returning to the U.S., her current vision of her children\u2019s future has been shattered. While she still believes the move to America was worthwhile to attempt to give her children a more promising future, she feels some relief to return home to her parents and to leave the constant fear of deportation behind.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cPeople need to be strong emotionally to come over to the United States,\u201d Monica said. \u201cBecause even though the United States is a very great country full of opportunities, it can be very emotionally draining to be here with this situation.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em>Correction: This story was updated at 4:15 p.m. to reflect that Ocarina gave birth in November.<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Missouri nonprofits and community health workers who serve undocumented women who are pregnant or postpartum say many clients are skipping doctor&#8217;s appointments out of fear of deportation (Getty Images). Oscarina spent the first week of her son\u2019s life moving between his bassinet in the neonatal intensive care unit and her small apartment to care for&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":7760,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kadence_starter_templates_imported_post":false,"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7759","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Undocumented mothers in Missouri navigate pregnancy, postpartum as ICE threats loom - WestplexNews.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/index.php\/2025\/12\/01\/undocumented-mothers-in-missouri-navigate-pregnancy-postpartum-as-ice-threats-loom-2\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Undocumented mothers in Missouri navigate pregnancy, postpartum as ICE threats loom - WestplexNews.com\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Missouri nonprofits and community health workers who serve undocumented women who are pregnant or postpartum say many clients are skipping doctor&#8217;s appointments out of fear of deportation (Getty Images). Oscarina spent the first week of her son\u2019s life moving between his bassinet in the neonatal intensive care unit and her small apartment to care for...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/index.php\/2025\/12\/01\/undocumented-mothers-in-missouri-navigate-pregnancy-postpartum-as-ice-threats-loom-2\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"WestplexNews.com\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-12-01T11:55:26+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/missouriindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/GettyImages-2193563646-1024x684.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Brad Hildebrand\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Brad Hildebrand\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"10 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/index.php\/2025\/12\/01\/undocumented-mothers-in-missouri-navigate-pregnancy-postpartum-as-ice-threats-loom-2\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/index.php\/2025\/12\/01\/undocumented-mothers-in-missouri-navigate-pregnancy-postpartum-as-ice-threats-loom-2\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Brad Hildebrand\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/#\/schema\/person\/86ac6e2a917ca881b22f6d55d1b955f0\"},\"headline\":\"Undocumented mothers in Missouri navigate pregnancy, postpartum as ICE threats loom\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-12-01T11:55:26+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/index.php\/2025\/12\/01\/undocumented-mothers-in-missouri-navigate-pregnancy-postpartum-as-ice-threats-loom-2\/\"},\"wordCount\":1946,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/index.php\/2025\/12\/01\/undocumented-mothers-in-missouri-navigate-pregnancy-postpartum-as-ice-threats-loom-2\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/GettyImages-2193563646-1024x684-SftUQ7.jpg\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/index.php\/2025\/12\/01\/undocumented-mothers-in-missouri-navigate-pregnancy-postpartum-as-ice-threats-loom-2\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/index.php\/2025\/12\/01\/undocumented-mothers-in-missouri-navigate-pregnancy-postpartum-as-ice-threats-loom-2\/\",\"name\":\"Undocumented mothers in Missouri navigate pregnancy, postpartum as ICE threats loom - WestplexNews.com\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/index.php\/2025\/12\/01\/undocumented-mothers-in-missouri-navigate-pregnancy-postpartum-as-ice-threats-loom-2\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/index.php\/2025\/12\/01\/undocumented-mothers-in-missouri-navigate-pregnancy-postpartum-as-ice-threats-loom-2\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/GettyImages-2193563646-1024x684-SftUQ7.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-12-01T11:55:26+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/index.php\/2025\/12\/01\/undocumented-mothers-in-missouri-navigate-pregnancy-postpartum-as-ice-threats-loom-2\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/index.php\/2025\/12\/01\/undocumented-mothers-in-missouri-navigate-pregnancy-postpartum-as-ice-threats-loom-2\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/index.php\/2025\/12\/01\/undocumented-mothers-in-missouri-navigate-pregnancy-postpartum-as-ice-threats-loom-2\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/GettyImages-2193563646-1024x684-SftUQ7.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/GettyImages-2193563646-1024x684-SftUQ7.jpg\",\"width\":1024,\"height\":684},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/index.php\/2025\/12\/01\/undocumented-mothers-in-missouri-navigate-pregnancy-postpartum-as-ice-threats-loom-2\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Undocumented mothers in Missouri navigate pregnancy, postpartum as ICE threats loom\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/\",\"name\":\"WestplexNews.com\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/#organization\",\"name\":\"WestplexNews.com\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/cropped-Westplex-News-MASTER-PNG-CLEAR-CROP-690-X-242.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/cropped-Westplex-News-MASTER-PNG-CLEAR-CROP-690-X-242.png\",\"width\":690,\"height\":242,\"caption\":\"WestplexNews.com\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/#\/schema\/person\/86ac6e2a917ca881b22f6d55d1b955f0\",\"name\":\"Brad Hildebrand\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/dc2f8931c569b15114c958f40a15bda5a2ae504b7f31d3ecf1c2227aa19e0071?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/dc2f8931c569b15114c958f40a15bda5a2ae504b7f31d3ecf1c2227aa19e0071?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Brad Hildebrand\"},\"sameAs\":[\"http:\/\/Westplexnews.com\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/index.php\/author\/bradh\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Undocumented mothers in Missouri navigate pregnancy, postpartum as ICE threats loom - WestplexNews.com","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/index.php\/2025\/12\/01\/undocumented-mothers-in-missouri-navigate-pregnancy-postpartum-as-ice-threats-loom-2\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Undocumented mothers in Missouri navigate pregnancy, postpartum as ICE threats loom - WestplexNews.com","og_description":"Missouri nonprofits and community health workers who serve undocumented women who are pregnant or postpartum say many clients are skipping doctor&#8217;s appointments out of fear of deportation (Getty Images). Oscarina spent the first week of her son\u2019s life moving between his bassinet in the neonatal intensive care unit and her small apartment to care for...","og_url":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/index.php\/2025\/12\/01\/undocumented-mothers-in-missouri-navigate-pregnancy-postpartum-as-ice-threats-loom-2\/","og_site_name":"WestplexNews.com","article_published_time":"2025-12-01T11:55:26+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/missouriindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/GettyImages-2193563646-1024x684.jpg","type":"","width":"","height":""}],"author":"Brad Hildebrand","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Brad Hildebrand","Est. reading time":"10 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/index.php\/2025\/12\/01\/undocumented-mothers-in-missouri-navigate-pregnancy-postpartum-as-ice-threats-loom-2\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/index.php\/2025\/12\/01\/undocumented-mothers-in-missouri-navigate-pregnancy-postpartum-as-ice-threats-loom-2\/"},"author":{"name":"Brad Hildebrand","@id":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/#\/schema\/person\/86ac6e2a917ca881b22f6d55d1b955f0"},"headline":"Undocumented mothers in Missouri navigate pregnancy, postpartum as ICE threats loom","datePublished":"2025-12-01T11:55:26+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/index.php\/2025\/12\/01\/undocumented-mothers-in-missouri-navigate-pregnancy-postpartum-as-ice-threats-loom-2\/"},"wordCount":1946,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/index.php\/2025\/12\/01\/undocumented-mothers-in-missouri-navigate-pregnancy-postpartum-as-ice-threats-loom-2\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/GettyImages-2193563646-1024x684-SftUQ7.jpg","inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/index.php\/2025\/12\/01\/undocumented-mothers-in-missouri-navigate-pregnancy-postpartum-as-ice-threats-loom-2\/","url":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/index.php\/2025\/12\/01\/undocumented-mothers-in-missouri-navigate-pregnancy-postpartum-as-ice-threats-loom-2\/","name":"Undocumented mothers in Missouri navigate pregnancy, postpartum as ICE threats loom - WestplexNews.com","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/index.php\/2025\/12\/01\/undocumented-mothers-in-missouri-navigate-pregnancy-postpartum-as-ice-threats-loom-2\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/index.php\/2025\/12\/01\/undocumented-mothers-in-missouri-navigate-pregnancy-postpartum-as-ice-threats-loom-2\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/GettyImages-2193563646-1024x684-SftUQ7.jpg","datePublished":"2025-12-01T11:55:26+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/index.php\/2025\/12\/01\/undocumented-mothers-in-missouri-navigate-pregnancy-postpartum-as-ice-threats-loom-2\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/index.php\/2025\/12\/01\/undocumented-mothers-in-missouri-navigate-pregnancy-postpartum-as-ice-threats-loom-2\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/index.php\/2025\/12\/01\/undocumented-mothers-in-missouri-navigate-pregnancy-postpartum-as-ice-threats-loom-2\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/GettyImages-2193563646-1024x684-SftUQ7.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/GettyImages-2193563646-1024x684-SftUQ7.jpg","width":1024,"height":684},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/index.php\/2025\/12\/01\/undocumented-mothers-in-missouri-navigate-pregnancy-postpartum-as-ice-threats-loom-2\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Undocumented mothers in Missouri navigate pregnancy, postpartum as ICE threats loom"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/","name":"WestplexNews.com","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/#organization","name":"WestplexNews.com","url":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/cropped-Westplex-News-MASTER-PNG-CLEAR-CROP-690-X-242.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/cropped-Westplex-News-MASTER-PNG-CLEAR-CROP-690-X-242.png","width":690,"height":242,"caption":"WestplexNews.com"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/#\/schema\/person\/86ac6e2a917ca881b22f6d55d1b955f0","name":"Brad Hildebrand","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/dc2f8931c569b15114c958f40a15bda5a2ae504b7f31d3ecf1c2227aa19e0071?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/dc2f8931c569b15114c958f40a15bda5a2ae504b7f31d3ecf1c2227aa19e0071?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Brad Hildebrand"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/Westplexnews.com"],"url":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/index.php\/author\/bradh\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7759","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7759"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7759\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7760"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7759"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7759"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7759"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}