The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to uphold a Texas law banning most abortions is likely to result in more people coming to New Mexico for the trial, lawyers and legal experts said Thursday. The state has already been among those patients travel to because Albuquerque is at home to one of the few independent clinics in the country that perform third trimester abortions. A 2019 analysis by the Associated Press found that New Mexico’s rate of abortions among foreign women has more than doubled in recent years to around 25%. Now, several carriers in the state have seen calls from overseas patients quadruple, particularly from people in Texas. Officials with the New Mexico Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, which helps women with shelter, transportation and other needs, said women are already seeing an influx of women from other countries and are preparing for more in the next few weeks. Ellie Rushforth, a reproductive rights attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union in New Mexico, said vendors are trying to prepare by expanding hours and hiring more staff who have been fighting for reproductive freedoms for years. “When a state puts abortion restrictions in place, there is no denying that people still need the care, and that these states are only making it more complicated,” she said. New Mexico passed law earlier this year to put a dormant 1969 ban on most abortion practices. Democratic Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham signed the measure in February, saying that women have the right to make choices about their bodies. Had the old law stayed in place, the ban on most abortion practices in New Mexico would have come into effect when the US Supreme Court finally overturns the groundbreaking Roe v. Wade ruling. While there is so far no pressure on Democrat-controlled legislation to push abortion protection further, Lujan Grisham’s office said Thursday that the state supports reproductive health decisions made between women and their doctors. without government interference. “We will not and will not stand for attempts to criminalize or restrict access to health care in New Mexico,” said Nora Meyers Sackett, spokeswoman for the governor. She added that “draconian laws in neighboring states” could increase the need for abortion services in New Mexico. Texas law prohibits abortions once medical professionals can detect cardiac activity, usually about six weeks – before some know they are pregnant. In a very unusual twist, enforcement is done by private individuals who can sue anyone they believe is breaking the law. Rushforth said restricted access to abortion services in Texas has already resulted in waiting lists that are pushing more patients to New Mexico and other states. She called New Mexico a “safe haven” for people who are afraid and now have to navigate what she called an impossible legal landscape. “These consequences will continue to be enormous in the future,” she said. “The financial and logistical barriers for many abortion patients are often insurmountable.” Albuquerque MP Patricia Roybal Caballero said she wanted New Mexico to continue to provide a safe passage for those seeking abortion procedures. She raised concerns about the potential of Texas law to lead to illegal abortion procedures. “I hope that we will continue to welcome each other and that our priority will be to save lives,” she said. “It’s our choice and if it’s our choice it should be a safe and healthy outcome.”
The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to uphold a Texas law banning most abortions is likely to result in more people coming to New Mexico for the trial, lawyers and legal experts said Thursday.
The state has already been among those patients travel to, as Albuquerque has one of the few independent clinics in the country that performs third trimester abortions.
A 2019 analysis by the Associated Press found that New Mexico’s rate of abortions performed by overseas women has more than doubled in recent years to around 25%. Now, several carriers in the state have seen calls from overseas patients quadruple, particularly from people in Texas.
Officials with the New Mexico Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, which helps women with housing, transportation, and other needs, said they are already seeing an influx of women from other countries and are preparing for more over the next several weeks.
Ellie Rushforth, a reproductive rights attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union in New Mexico, said vendors are trying to prepare by expanding hours and hiring more staff.
She called it a terrible day for Texans and for those who have been fighting for reproductive freedoms for years.
“When a state puts abortion restrictions in place, there is no denying that people still need the care, and that these states are only making it more complicated,” she said.
New Mexico passed law earlier this year to lift a dormant 1969 ban on most abortion practices. Democratic Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham signed the measure in February, saying that women have the right to make choices about their bodies.
If the old law had stayed in place, New Mexico would have banned most abortion practices when the US Supreme Court finally passed the landmark Roe v. Wade picks up.
While the Democratic-controlled legislature has so far been exerting no pressure to push abortion protection further, Lujan Grisham’s office said Thursday that the state supports reproductive health decisions between women and their doctors without government intervention.
“We will not and will not tolerate attempts to criminalize or restrict access to health care in New Mexico,” said Nora Meyers Sackett, spokeswoman for the governor.
She added that “draconian laws in neighboring states” could increase the need for abortion services in New Mexico.
Texas law prohibits abortions once medical professionals can detect cardiac activity, usually about six weeks – before some people know they are pregnant. In a very unusual twist, enforcement is done by private individuals who can sue anyone they believe is breaking the law.
Rushforth said restricted access to abortion services in Texas has already resulted in waiting lists that are pushing more patients to New Mexico and other states. She called New Mexico a “safe haven” for people who are afraid and now have to navigate what she called an impossible legal landscape.
“These consequences will also be enormous in the future,” she said. “The financial and logistical hurdles for many abortion patients are often insurmountable.”
Democratic State MP Patricia Roybal Caballero from Albuquerque said she wanted New Mexico to continue to provide safe passage for those seeking abortion procedures. She raised concerns about the potential of Texas law to lead to underground abortion procedures.
“I would hope that we will continue to welcome each other and that our priority will be to save lives,” she said. “It’s our choice and if it’s our choice it should be a safe and healthy outcome.”
Comments are closed.