She was eventually rushed to a hospital in Boston with symptoms “nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and decreased fetal movement,” a physician at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center testified, and all the while immigration agents were stationed outside her room.Ribeiro Semedo, of Brockton, was eventually released on her own recognizance after her attorney filed a petition in federal court challenging her detention. The attorney, Carl Hurvich, said that US Immigration and Custom Enforcement’s policy dictates the agency not “detain, arrest, or take into custody for an administrative violation of the immigration laws individuals known to be pregnant, postpartum, or nursing,” unless under exceptional circumstances. “There are pregnant women around the country who are being shackled,” Hurvich said. “This is definitely something that we would not have seen before the current leadership in ICE in this administration.”A spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security, Tricia McLaughlin, said it was “exceedingly rare,” for ICE to detain a pregnant person, but disputed Ribeiro Semedo’s assertion she was not properly treated while in custody.“This is the best health care many of these individuals have received in their entire lives,” McLaughlin said.She added it was “standard procedure” for officers to remain with detainees when they are receiving care at a hospital.ICE released Djeniffer Benvinda Ribeiro Semedo on Tuesday after her lawyer, Carl Hurvich, filed a petition in federal court. Provided by Carl HurvichRibeiro Semedo ended up in ICE custody after she was arrested at Brockton District Court for an outstanding default warrant stemming from a domestic dispute in 2024 with a former partner, according to court documents. After the hearing, Ribeiro Semedo said, a court officer took her into custody. “I have bad news for you, ICE is here for you,” she recalls a court officer telling her. ICE officers handcuffed her hands and feet, and led her to a van and took her to the agency’s facility in Burlington.Ribeiro Semedo came to the United States legally from Cape Verde as an adolescent about nine years ago. She had a conditional green card through her mother until her mother’s status was eventually terminated at an unknown time. Hurvich, her attorney, said Ribeiro Semedo was entitled to a review of her status by an immigration judge. Ribeiro Semedo’s former partner alleged she struck him with a piece of broken glass, and also pushed and scratched him, his brother, and his mother, according to a police report of the incident. Ribeiro Semedo told police her former partner and his family members dragged her out of the house.She was arrested on domestic violence assault and battery, and two counts of simple assault and battery, and authorities also later charged her with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, court records show.The former partner appeared unharmed, and the brother had a minor scratch, according to the police report. Ribeiro Semedo denies the allegations and was released on personal recognizance in 2024. But she missed a scheduled court date on the assault charges, and a default warrant for her arrest was issued by the Brockton court. Ribeiro Semedo said she did not know about the warrant until last week when she was asked for ID during a traffic stop by State Police and then taken into custody.But McLaughlin, the DHS spokesperson, criticized “sanctuary politicians” for the original decision to release Ribeiro Semedo on criminal charges.Hurvich said the arrest was an example of ICE assuming that “anyone who just had a criminal charge must be a danger” — without giving people a chance to clear their names of any charges. “That’s why we have a court system.”Before her detention by ICE, Ribeiro Semedo told hospital staff that she “had a normal pregnancy and received routine prenatal care,” according to a declaration filed in her case by Dr. Blair Johnson Wylie, chief of obstetrics and gynecology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.“According to the patient’s report, she did not receive appropriate food during her detention at ICE, and that likely worsened her condition,” Wylie said in the declaration. “The patient’s detention in an ICE facility . . . places her at higher risk of preterm labor and other pregnancy complications.”Ribeiro Semedo is anemic, still has abdominal pain and nausea, and may have to undergo surgery for gallstones. Medical staff had concerns about her conditions triggering preterm labor, according to the court documents and a phone interview with Ribeiro Semedo from the hospital.The DHS spokesperson said pregnant detainees routinely are provided with optimal care, including intake screenings within 12 hours of arriving at a detention facility, full health assessments within 14 days, and 24-hour emergency care. From her hospital bed, Ribeiro Semedo said she was worried about her baby. She originally planned to go to her mother’s home once she is discharged, but is now fearful of leaving the hospital, of ICE arresting her as well as members of her family. “I’m scared to go to my mom’s house because they’re going to be watching her, too,” Ribeiro Semedo said.Laura Crimaldi of the Globe staff contributed reporting.Giulia McDonnell Nieto del Rio can be reached at giulia.mcdnr@globe.com. Follow her @giuliamcdnr.