The Trump administration doesn’t want women to have access to reproductive freedom and they are doing everything they can to prevent it. From defunding Planned Parenthood to allowing employers to opt out of covering birth control through employer provided insurance, they are working quickly and unabashedly to take women’s rights away. This is why it’s so important when the law sides with women against the administration, ensuring our right to make our own decisions about our bodies and reproductive health.
One such victory occurred today, when the ACLU was able to receive a court order preventing the administration from blocking a young woman’s right to obtain an abortion.
The American Civil Liberties Union prevailed in court today on behalf of a young woman in Texas who has been prevented from accessing abortion care by the Trump administration.
The Office of Refugee Resettlement has prevented a 17-year-old, who is being held at a shelter for unaccompanied immigrant minors in Texas, from getting an abortion. The ACLU challenged the obstruction and the judge has ordered that the young woman be permitted to get the abortion she decided on and requested weeks ago.
Talk about government overreach. It is a complete invasion of privacy for the Office of Refugee Resettlement to be weighing in on the reproductive health issues of a young woman in custody, particularly because their job is to make sure that refugees are safely integrated into the United States and American culture. Among the scope of their duties would be to make sure unaccompanied immigrant children are cared for and have all they need to ensure their well-being. Policing their right to make decisions about procreating is not among their scope of work.
“Janes everywhere are rejoicing that their dignity and humanity have been recognized and respected by the federal court,” said Susan Hays, legal director of Jane’s Due Process, a legal referral source for teens facing unintended pregnancies in Texas.
Texas has one of the highest teen pregnancy and teen abortion rates in the country, in part due to the decreased funding for Planned Parenthood. This is exactly what happens when a bunch of out-of-touch men and religious zealots are allowed to make terrible decisions about family planning. They refuse to let sex education be taught in schools and don’t want women to have access to contraception and then, when accidental pregnancies occur, they deny access to abortions. This is sexism and misogyny, not just in action, but in policy. Thank goodness that the ACLU is not giving an inch when it comes to women’s autonomy and reproductive choice. While a victory was scored on Tuesday, this is sure to be a continuous legal battle over the coming years.