FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 24, 2022
CONTACT:
Mynellies Negron
703-585-6727
mynellies@communicationsshop.us
WASHINGTON — Today, in a 6-3 vote, the Supreme Court ruled to overturn Roe v. Wade, effectively ending nearly 50 years of the constitutional right to abortion. Hispanic Federation condemns this decision and once again calls on Congress to immediately pass federal protections for abortion rights.
“We are outraged by the Supreme Court’s decision today, which ended nearly 50 years of federal constitutional protections for abortion rights. This is the first time a Supreme Court has taken away a right that is widely supported by the public. The ruling today will not only allow Mississippi to implement its harmful 15-week ban on abortion, but will also give the green light for 26 states to either restrict or ban abortion access entirely. This could also set a precedent for overturning other civil rights protections, such as those protecting our right to marry. The result will be devastating for millions of people, especially those who already face barriers to healthcare, including Latinx, people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, indigenous people, young people, people with disabilities, people in rural and underserved communities, and low-income communities.
Now, only those who can afford to travel hundreds of miles will potentially have access to safe abortions, while those who cannot, will be forced to either carry unwanted pregnancies or seek dangerous practices to induce abortion. And let’s be clear: today’s decision will not stop abortion, but it will severely limit access to safe and legal abortions. This decision will further curtail the access of millions to safe and affordable healthcare and turn healthcare providers and even women seeking reproductive care into criminals.
Combined with our current anti-immigration laws, which are prevalent in states that also have laws that undermine the rights of voters and LGBTQ people, undocumented people who constantly fear deportation will likely be deterred from interstate travel to get an abortion safely. Texas, a state that passed one of the most restrictive anti-abortion bills in our country (SB-8), has one of the largest Latino populations – a third of whom live in poverty. For undocumented immigrants living in Rio Grande Valley, Texas, many of whom cannot afford the cost of travel because of long distances and already live in endless fear of deportation, overturning Roe will be shattering,” said Frankie Miranda, President and CEO of Hispanic Federation.
“Abortion is a racial and economic justice issue. Overturning Roe v. Wade underscores the systemic discrimination and racism in our country as this issue falls most heavily on low-income women and women of color who already face disproportionate economic burdens from childbirth, higher maternal mortality rates, as well as unequal access to affordable healthcare. It is one of the several attacks on our fundamental rights, including LGBTQ rights, voting rights, and other civil and human rights entangled with our right to liberty. Deciding whether or when to have children is paramount for our racial, social, and economic equality and our reproductive justice and autonomy. The attack on Roe isn't only about the denial of abortion access. It's about denying bodily autonomy and denying possibilities in life. This isn’t a “they’re coming for us next” moment. They’ve already come for us, and the fight of our lives is here now.
Today's decision is definitive – it has not only curtailed women’s rights, but also our status as free and equal citizens. How can the Supreme Court decide in the same week that guns have more freedom from regulation than women’s bodies? We will not stand in silence watching as our rights are taken away. We will continue to fight for access to comprehensive reproductive care with justice and dignity for everyone in our communities, to ensure that people, regardless of their immigration or economic status, or sexual or gender orientation, have the freedom to make decisions over our bodies, health, and lives,” said Laura M. Esquivel, Vice President, Federal Policy and Advocacy of Hispanic Federation.