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This story was originally published by The 19th.

Period products like pads and tampons are considered an essential public health need, but access for women and trans people held in federal custody — from prisons to immigration detention centers — remains inconsistent. While specific figures for women held in immigration detention have not been reported for President Donald Trump’s second term, the detention population broadly reached record highs in 2025, growing from about 40,000 to nearly 70,000 people.

A report published Monday by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), a nonpartisan arm of Congress, found that federal prisons and immigration detention centers generally make menstrual products available. But investigators also discovered inadequate oversight: Some facilities do not follow federal policy that mandates specific types of menstrual products and how often they must be replenished.

The watchdog office suggested recommendations to the federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) and to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). “GAO recommends that (1) BOP ensure its oversight activities monitor adherence to its policy on providing menstrual products, and (2) ICE clarify requirements related to providing menstrual products in its detention standards.” The report noted that while BOP committed to taking steps to address the recommendations, ICE declined, stating that its standards are intended to provide “guidance” and “flexibility” to facilities.

“Menstrual products aren’t a luxury, they are a basic need for half of the population,” Rep. Grace Meng, a New York Democrat and one of six congresswomen to request the GAO report, wrote in a statement. “This is why I........

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