A draft opinion by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito regarding the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization was leaked and published in Politico last night. The opinion calls for the outright overturning of Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, which protect our fundamental rights to abortion and much more.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of New Mexico is outraged but not surprised by this draft opinion. Overturning nearly half a century of established law and ending the national right to abortion would disproportionately affect some of the most vulnerable people in our nation, including those in rural communities or who can’t afford to travel to states where their rights are still protected.
Ellie Rushforth, reproductive rights counsel for the ACLU of New Mexico, released the following statement:
“We want to emphasize that this is a draft opinion and abortion remains safe and legal across the country and in New Mexico. We anticipated this possibility and it is a serious and immediate threat to public health and personal freedom. It confirms our deepest fears that the U.S. Supreme Court is ready and willing to attack and undermine our community’s ability to determine the course of our lives. Abortion has always been and will always be part of reproductive health care regardless of what the Supreme Court decides.
We are in this fight and we are not backing down. We can’t lose sight of why we do this work — so that we all, no matter who we are, where we’re from, or how much money we have, can continue to access high quality and compassionate health care in New Mexico. This is why abortion providers, abortion funds, and reproductive health, rights and justice advocates work every day.
Abortion providers and staff got up this morning and went to work to serve their communities and patients that need them, just like they did yesterday and just like they will do tomorrow.
Practical support organizations like abortion funds are helping patients and providers navigate an unjust system that is changing in real time. We want to compel everyone to support local abortion providers and abortion funds doing critical work on the ground every day. Additionally, we need everyone to vote like their rights depend on it, because they do.”
