Deepening the Divide: Abortion Bans Further Harm Immigrant Communities
Abortion bans criminalize immigrant communities and make it more difficult for immigrants in detention to receive timely reproductive health care. This fact sheet from the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice and The Center for Law and Social Policy discusses why and how.
Immigrants need access to reproductive healthcare. Yet abortion bans and the overturning of Roe have made access to care even more difficult. The majority of immigrants live in states such as Texas, Arizona, and Florida, where abortion is restricted, and where hospitals and clinics are closing. Undocumented immigrants and mixed-status families are especially vulnerable.
Many factors discourage immigrants from even seeking abortion care. They may lack access to public health insurance programs. They may not have the necessary documentation to pass through Customs and Border Patrol checkpoints in order to reach a clinic or hospital.
The National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice and The Center for Law and Social Policy support legislation that protects our reproductive rights and ensures universal access to abortion care. These include the following:
• The HEAL for Immigrant Families Act (HEAL Act)
• The Equal Access to Abortion Coverage in Health Insurance (EACH) Act
• The Women’s Health Protection Act
• The Abortion Justice Act (AJA)
• The Reproductive Health Travel Fund Act
The fact sheet also recommends reforms to policies around those in federal and state custody. The creation of protected areas and limited detention periods would better protect the health of pregnant, postpartum, and nursing people. In addition, the Department of Human Services should provide data around pregnancy and detention.
The rise in criminalization of abortion care also affects immigrant communities who may also be facing criminalization around documentation status… I know that, for the handful of patients who are able to travel to see me, there are dozen[s] who are unable to.
SOURCE: National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice and The Center for Law and Social Policy • AUTHOR: Lucie Arvallo, Hannah Liu, Suma Setty, and Priya Pandey • LAST UPDATED: August 15, 2023
