Dr. Mahendra Amin, the ICE-contracted OB/GYN at ICDC under investigation, performed 82% of all dilation-and-curettage (D&C) surgeries, 93% of all contraceptive-injection procedures, and 94% of all laparoscopic gynecological surgeries for ICE detainees nationally, despite accounting for only 6.5% of off-site OB/GYN visits./Source: Congress.gov
Using only primary documents, including whistleblower filings, Senate investigations, OIG audits, detainee testimony, and federal court records
By Gina Hill | Alaska Headline Living | November 2025
Allegations in 2020 that women in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody were subjected to unwanted hysterectomies and invasive gynecological procedures sparked a nationwide outcry. Four years later, multiple federal investigations, audits, lawsuits, and congressional hearings provide a clearer, and more complicated, record. While government inquiries did not substantiate claims of large-scale forced sterilization, they did confirm systemic medical oversight failures, unnecessary or inadequately justified surgeries, and repeated violations of informed-consent standards. This executive summary draws exclusively from primary sources to outline what happened, what was verified, and what remains disputed.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1. The Whistleblower Complaint That Triggered the Investigations
In September 2020, licensed practical nurse Dawn Wooten filed a complaint via Project South and the Government Accountability Project. Working at Irwin County Detention Center (ICDC) in Georgia, she alleged a pattern of invasive gynecological surgeries, including hysterectomies, performed on detained women, often without clear explanations. She also raised serious concerns about Dr. Mahendra Amin, the OB-GYN treating many of these detainees. According to her, many women reported that they did not fully understand what was being done to them or why. Language barriers and rushed medical decisions were central to her claims.
Primary Source: Wooten Whistleblower Complaint (Project South, Sept. 2020).
2. Testimonies From Detained Women: First-Person Accounts
Project South’s September 2021 report collected firsthand interviews with women who had been detained at ICDC and treated by Dr. Amin. Key takeaways include:
- Some women said they were told they needed surgery because of cysts or masses, but were not clearly informed of all options.
- Several described how Dr. Amin performed procedures after minimal explanation.
- There was heavy reliance on other detainees for translation, not professional interpreters, contributing to confusion about what was being done and why.
Primary Source: Project South “Violations of Human Rights in ICDC” (Sept. 2021).
3. U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (PSI): Bipartisan Findings
Over an 18-month investigation, the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations examined thousands of pages of medical records, conducted interviews, and reviewed expert assessments. Their report highlights serious issues tied specifically to Dr. Mahendra Amin’s care.
Key Findings Related to Amin:
- Dr. Amin was an outlier: Although ICDC held only a small fraction (~4%) of female ICE detainees in 2017–2020, Amin accounted for a disproportionately large share of certain high-risk procedures. Law & Crime+2Homeland Security Committee+2
- According to Senate-commissioned OB/GYN expert Dr. Peter Cherouny, Amin performed 40 D&C (dilation & curettage) procedures with laparoscopy, many of which could have been addressed with less invasive treatment. Dr. Cherouny characterized Amin’s surgical approach as “too aggressive” and not meeting contemporary standards of medical care. Congress.gov
- Cherouny also noted that many of Amin’s surgeries appeared to be used as diagnostic tools, rather than first-line interventions, meaning he opted for surgical procedures instead of using imaging or non-surgical therapies. Congress.gov
- While some media and advocacy groups alleged that Amin performed “mass hysterectomies,” the Senate subcommittee found only two hysterectomies at ICDC between 2017–2019, both of which ICE deemed medically necessary. Homeland Security Committee
- The subcommittee also concluded there were repeated failures to document informed consent for off-site procedures. Homeland Security Committee
- When called to testify, Dr. Amin invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination and declined to answer questions.Â
4. DHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) Audit: Systemic Breakdowns Confirmed
In January 2024, the Department of Homeland Security’s OIG released a detailed audit titled “ICE Major Surgeries Were Not Always Properly Reviewed and Approved for Medical Necessity.”
👉🏿 Key Verified Findings
In January 2024, the DHS Office of Inspector General released its audit titled “ICE Major Surgeries Were Not Always Properly Reviewed and Approved for Medical Necessity.” While the OIG did not focus exclusively on Dr. Amin, some of its findings intersect with his conduct and the broader system in which he operated.
- The OIG found 227 major surgeries in its sample; in 72 of those, required medical-approval documentation was missing or inadequate.
- Among six hysterectomies reviewed in the audit (FY 2019–2021), two cases lacked sufficient documentation to confidently support that a hysterectomy was the best or only treatment.
- The report concluded that ICE’s approval process for major surgeries was “inconsistent” and that poor documentation created risk.
Primary Source: DHS OIG Report OIG-24-16 (Jan. 2024).
5. Civil Litigation: Affidavits, Medical Records, and Sworn Statements
More than 40 women filed a class-action lawsuit naming ICE, ICDC operators, and Dr. Mahendra Amin. Their court filings include:
- Sworn affidavits describing surgeries they say they didn’t fully consent to, or didn’t understand.
- Medical charts and treatment records showing that Amin performed a variety of gynecological procedures — including surgeries, D&Cs, and hormonal injections.
- Allegations of coercion, pressure (explicit or implicit), and lack of clear communication around risk, alternatives, and outcomes.
Primary Source: Federal court complaint and exhibits (2020–2021).
6. Federal Action Taken: ICE Ends Use of ICDC
Amid mounting public and congressional scrutiny, ICE formally ended its contract with the Irwin County Detention Center. Though ICE did not publicly attribute the move solely to the Amin controversy, the timing aligned with both the Senate investigation and broader demands for accountability.
Primary Source: ICE official release ending use of ICDC.
BOTTOM LINE: WHAT THE PRIMARY SOURCES SHOW
👉🏿 Substantiated by Federal Investigations
- Dr. Mahendra Amin played a central role in the medical care of female detainees: his procedure volume was unusually high, and he performed a disproportionate share of invasive surgeries.
- His surgical decision-making was questioned by a Senate-commissioned OB/GYN, who called his approach “too aggressive” and noted overuse of surgeries for diagnoses that might have been managed non-surgically.
- Informed-consent processes were repeatedly flawed: detainees often did not fully understand the procedures or their alternatives.
- ICE’s oversight systems failed: many surgeries were approved without robust documentation, and clinical reviews were inadequate.
🚫 What Was Not Proven
- The most extreme allegation, “mass hysterectomies” performed by Dr. Amin, was not supported by the Senate or OIG investigations. Only two hysterectomies were documented at ICDC, and ICE considered both medically justified.
- There is no conclusive finding that Amin engaged in coercive sterilization on a large scale, though many of his practices raised serious ethical and medical concerns.
👉🏿 Partially Substantiated
- Detainee fears, confusion, and reports of unwanted surgeries align with documented oversight failures.
- While intent to coerce was not formally established, the systems in place failed to protect detainees from preventable harm.
CONCLUSION
Based solely on primary sources, the picture that emerges is one of systemic medical failure rather than confirmed mass sterilization. Women in ICE custody, particularly at Irwin County Detention Center, were subjected to invasive medical care without proper explanation, consent, or oversight.
Federal agencies, congressional investigators, and whistleblowers collectively paint a consistent narrative: even without evidence of a widespread hysterectomy program, the failures were serious, repeated, and deeply harmful.
