More Detained Women Say ICE Doctor Pressured Them Into Gynecological Surgery

Earlier this month, whistleblower nurse Dawn Wooten came forward with allegations of high rates of hysterectomies being performed on Spanish-speaking immigrant women at Irwin County Detention Center in Georgia by a doctor she chillingly referred to as the “uterus collector.” Now, The New York Times has spoken to 16 women who say they were concerned about the gynecological care they received while detained at the center. One, Wendy Dowe, was told that menstrual cramping she had was caused by large cysts and masses that needed to be removed. Despite her skepticism, she felt pressured to consent and went ahead with the procedure. Later, after she was deported to Jamaica and had her case reviewed, a radiologist found that her case would not usually require surgical intervention. The Times reports that Mahendra Amin, who treated all 16 women interviewed, consistently overstated risks associated with cysts in his patients. Amin’s lawyer said each intervention was “was medically necessary” and only carried out after receiving “full informed consent” from the women.