# Illegal evictions threaten Black mothers in Detroit

> Research reveals how landlords bypass courts to evict pregnant women and mothers, causing health crises and family separations.
- Title: Illegal evictions threaten Black mothers in Detroit | Shortify
- Summary: Research reveals how landlords bypass courts to evict pregnant women and mothers, causing health crises and family separations. Illegal evictions, which…
- Keywords: detroit, evictions, black women, pregnant women, maternal health, housing, landlords, reproductive justice, homelessness, racial health disparities, michigan law, science
- Source: The Conversation — https://theconversation.com/black-moms-and-pregnant-women-forced-out-of-their-homes-in-metro-detroit-face-health-and-safety-threats-288051
- Author: Shawnita Sealy-Jefferson
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: detroit, evictions, black women, pregnant women, maternal health, housing, landlords, reproductive justice, homelessness, racial health disparities, michigan law, science
## Michigan law requires court orders
Landlords must go through the court system to evict tenants in Michigan, even for unpaid rent or lease non-renewal. A judge must sign the eviction order.
## Landlords skip the law half the time
Detroit had 20,370 eviction cases filed in 2025, but research shows the real number is twice as high because many landlords illegally evict tenants without court orders.
## Black women face the worst impact
A study of nearly 1,500 Black women in metro Detroit found that nearly 800 experienced court-ordered or illegal evictions. Black women and children are most affected due to structural racism and sexism.
## Illegal evictions harm pregnant women
More than one in three pregnant or postpartum women who were illegally evicted had nowhere to live. Twenty-six percent lacked a formal lease, leaving them with no legal protection.

> Our research found that an illegal eviction caused more than 1 in 3 pregnant or postpartum participants to have nowhere to live.
## Evictions cause serious birth problems
A Georgia study linked birth records to court records from 2000 to 2016 and found mothers evicted during second or third trimesters had more low birth weight and premature babies.
## Violence and food insecurity follow
In-depth interviews with 55 illegally evicted women revealed threats of violence, food insecurity, and severe weight loss. One pregnant woman lost significant weight and went days without eating.

> Many a day I went without eating. I was very sick for a while... We just struggled really, really bad.
## Families are separated by eviction
Some women lost custody of their children after illegal eviction because they could no longer provide stable housing. One woman had not regained custody at the time of the study.

> I didn't have a house that was stable for them anymore.
## Current policies miss half the crisis
State and local programs designed to address evictions rarely protect against illegal evictions. Expanding these programs with mothers and babies in mind could prevent homelessness and family separations.
## Key takeaway

Illegal evictions, which happen twice as often as official counts show, disproportionately harm Black pregnant women and mothers, causing miscarriages, food insecurity, and custody loss.