Santo Domingo.- The General Directorate of Migration (DGM) announced the detention of 87 pregnant and laboring Haitian women, along with 48 minors, in Dominican public hospitals as part of a newly implemented immigration verification protocol. This initiative, launched on Monday, follows measures outlined by President Luis Abinader to curb irregular immigration from Haiti.
The detained women were transferred to the Haina Immigration Processing Center, where biometric data and fingerprints were collected to prepare for deportation. Officials confirmed that deportations proceed only after verifying that there are no health risks to the individuals involved.
Luis Rafael Lee Ballester, head of the DGM, personally supervised the operations to ensure the process respected human rights and considered each case individually. The immigration checks are part of efforts to regulate foreign patient care, uphold immigration laws, and maintain the sustainability of the Dominican hospital system.