This bill matters because it addresses concerns about the health and safety of pregnant individuals and their unborn children or newborns while in government custody. Detaining pregnant individuals can pose risks to their health and the health of their babies, and the use of restraints during pregnancy, labor, delivery, and postpartum recovery is widely considered inhumane and medically unsafe by many health organizations.

If this bill becomes law, it would significantly limit the use of detention for this vulnerable population and prohibit the practice of shackling, which could prevent complications and improve humanitarian standards. If it doesn't pass, current practices regarding the detention and restraint of pregnant and postpartum individuals in immigration custody would largely continue, potentially leaving these individuals vulnerable to practices some consider harmful or undignified.