This month is Disability Pride Month, a time to recognize and celebrate the struggles and triumphs of people with disabilities. Disability Justice is another intersection of reproductive justice. People with disabilities have been facing ongoing discrimination in their reproductive choices. For years, people with disabilities have faced forced sterilization and have had their reproductive rights stripped away to prevent them from having children that could possibly inherit their disability.

Additionally, disabled parents face stigma regarding their parenting abilities.

Barriers to contraception, abortion, and bodily autonomy are even greater for people with disabilities. Healthcare providers frequently undermine their ability to make decisions about their own bodies. The shame and stigma surrounding disability must end now.

Disability is not uncommon; in 2021, the U.S. Census Bureau reported that 42.5 million people in the United States had a disability. As a faith-based organization, we believe in treating everyone with respect and dignity, including people with disabilities. We believe in protecting reproductive rights for everyone and making abortion accessible to everyone.

We must work to normalize and destigmatize disabilities. It's also important to remember that not all disabilities are visible, intellectual disabilities like ADHD, autism, and borderline personality disorder are just a few examples. It is important to treat everyone with kindness, we never know what someone else is going through.

If you know of an organization that supports people with disabilities or any business owners with disabilities, please share their information with us. We would love to feature them in our newsletter and on social media this month. Simply reply to this email with their details.

Learn more on why and how we celebrate below from The Arc

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Updates on Recent Court Rulings

Mifepristone

The Supreme Court released their decision on Mifepristone on Thursday, June 13th. They unanimously ruled that the plaintiffs lack standing to challenge the FDA’s actions. “Under Article III of the Constitution, a plaintiff’s desire to make a drug less available for others does not establish standing to sue”.

The Supreme Court neither expressed support nor opposition for Mifepristone. Instead, they ruled that the plaintiffs lacked standing to sue, as Mifepristone does not personally affect them. At this time, Mifepristone can be challenged again in the future because SCOTUS did not affirm Mifepristone should remain legal.

For now, Mifepristone remains legal, ensuring that millions of individuals continue to have access to safe and effective medication for medical abortion. Scientific evidence and medical expertise have consistently demonstrated the safety and effectiveness of Mifepristone since the FDA approved it over twenty years ago. Faith Roots Reproductive Action will continue to advocate for the legality of Mifepristone and policies that protect the most vulnerable among us. We support holistic approaches to healthcare that uphold the dignity and autonomy of individuals in making their healthcare choices. We will continue to fight against any measures that threaten these fundamental rights.

This case is just one example of the uncertainty surrounding abortion. Uncertainty continues to grow and we recognize the ongoing battles ahead. This is a good reminder to vote in this election. Now is the time to stand up and protect reproductive access. Reproductive rights impact all our lives in profound ways, one way or another. We must come together in collective power and keep fighting for our freedom.

Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA)

The Supreme Court released their decision on The Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) case on Thursday, June 27th. The decision reinstated a temporary lower court's ruling to allow doctors in Idaho to perform life-saving abortions. The case was dismissed in a 6-3 opinion as "improvidently granted" and returned it to the lower courts for further litigation. The case will now return to a federal district court judge, who had temporarily blocked the Idaho law from going into effect.
This is not a victory, but a temporary fix. We all deserve care and whether we receive it should not depend on government officials. Our faith teaches us to care for the sick, be compassionate, and offer help in times of need. Since its enactment in 1986, EMTALA has required hospitals to provide emergency care regardless of a patient's ability to pay, ensuring equitable access to healthcare for all. EMTALA encompasses what we believe and fully aligns with our values.
On Tuesday, July 2nd, Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), Xavier Becerra, and Administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, sent a letter to hospital and provider associations nationwide. They emphasized the legal obligation of hospitals to provide necessary stabilizing medical care to all patients experiencing a medical emergency in Medicare-participating hospitals. They also stated that the investigation of EMTALA complaints would continue in Idaho while litigation continues in the lower courts. Additionally, they announced the launch of a Spanish-language version of the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) complaint form. Click the button down below to read the full letter.

Read the Letter

Two Years Post Dobbs

It's been two years since the Supreme Court overturned Roe V. Wade in the Dobbs v. Jackson case on June 24th, 2022. This ruling drastically reshaped abortion and reproductive rights across the country. While many states banned abortion after this ruling, New Mexico became a safe haven for people seeking abortion care. Roe v. Wade was never enough and New Mexicans always knew that, that's why we worked hard to repeal a dormant 1969 statute in 2021 that made abortion illegal.
After the Dobb's decision, New Mexicans continued to work hard to ensure abortion remained, safe, legal, and accessible in New Mexico. In 2023, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham signed two abortion bills into law: HB7- The Reproductive and Gender-Affirming Health Care Act and SB13- The Reproductive Health Provider Protections Act. HB7 protects individuals seeking abortion or gender-affirming care from being discriminated against and denied health care from publicly funded organizations. SB13 protects abortion care providers, including our case managers and volunteers from criminal liability or professional disciplinary action. It also protects abortion care patient's healthcare information from being accessed by other states.
The past two years have been very difficult and challenging. Abortion continues to be challenged every single day in new ways. There has always been barriers to abortion even with Roe in place, but the overturn of it only increased those barriers, specially for marginalized communities. The Dobbs decision instilled fear, uncertainty, and it fueled the spread of misinformation about abortion.

Second Quarter of Practical Support

By the Numbers: This illustrates how many folks we’ve helped from each state this quarter!

Since the Dobbs decision, the number of people we've helped has increased dramatically, but recently our numbers have declined due to the spread of misinformation by anti-abortion groups. In 2021, we assisted 382 individuals; in 2022, that number jumped to 1,125, and in 2023 it decreased to 1,040. So far in 2024, we've assisted 383 individuals. In the second quarter of this year, we helped 166 individuals from 6 different states; 139 from Texas, 12 from New Mexico, 2 from Oklahoma, 9 from Arizona, 2 from Louisiana, and 2 from Colorado.

Anti-abortion extremists are actively spreading misinformation about abortion travel calling it "abortion trafficking". Their goal is to instill fear in people and prevent them from traveling out of state for abortion care by using alarming words that don't mean anything. Traveling out of state for abortion is not illegal and there's no such thing as "abortion trafficking". We are continuously working on ways to combat misinformation and deliver accurate information to abortion seekers in states with restrictive laws.

Our faith teaches us to care for one another and be compassionate, specially in difficult and vulnerable situations. Our mission is to dismantle barriers and destigmatize abortion, affirming that abortion is a normal aspect of healthcare that should be readily accessible.

The Supreme Court session ended, and we find some wins and some losses. In a unanimous vote, Mifepristone will remain available which seems like a win; however, this is just a band aid for now. This ruling will not stop anti-abortion lawmakers from trying to add layers to individual state challenges and trying to gain control of access to this vital abortion medication. Additionally, the Court ruled in the City of Grants Pass v. Johnson to overturn constitutional protections for homeless people with nowhere to go for shelter. People who are or become pregnant while homeless face even greater health risks due to the elements and unsafe conditions. These conditions often force pregnant people into unsafe living situations to avoid penalties and fines, and frequent moving can disrupt prenatal or abortion care which ultimately leads to poorer outcomes regarding their overall health.

One of the most important parts of our program is providing a SAFE experience to all our callers. Whether it be travel or procedure, safety is our highest priority. We want to continue to keep our program and our callers safe and thriving, but we can’t do it without you. Your donation provides tools and resources that most can’t receive anywhere else in the country! Don’t wait for another bad outcome. Our power and safety have never come from the State House, White House or the Supreme Court. Our power comes from us: our love, our roots, our values, and our resistance. Your fearless monthly donation will make sure we can do what we’ve always done: support people in navigating barriers to abortion and creating a world where we care for each other.

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