19 JUL 2022
Immigration Hub Joins 155 Groups To Urge DHS to Ensure SCOTUS Dobbs Decision Has No Impact on Immigration Enforcement
Washington, DC - In light of the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, today, 156 immigration, criminal justice, and civil rights organizations sent a letter to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) urging the agency to immediately issue clear guidance to prevent the Dobbs decision from adding another layer of danger for noncitizens who have the right to exercise control over their bodies and their reproductive futures and people who help them seek the same freedom.
“The Supreme Court’s devastating decision is the culmination of a decades’ long campaign by Republicans to restrict critical reproductive health care access for women and families, and now it could have more dire, far-reaching consequences,” said Kerri Talbot, Deputy Director of the Immigration Hub. “The decision puts immigrant women at risk of deportation as states across the country rush to criminalize abortions. President Biden has already taken steps to protect the rights and health of most women seeking abortions, but the administration must go a step further by protecting everyone, regardless of immigration status. He must make it clear that DHS will not bar from immigration relief nor take any enforcement action against people who may be arrested for or convicted of abortion care-related violations. His administration must also ensure abortion care for those detained in states where it is banned and those seeking to travel across the border for these sensitive and urgent health care services. President Biden made a promise to do everything in his power to protect reproductive freedom, and we call on him to stay consistent across the board.”
The letter calls on DHS to:
not use any abortion care-related arrest or conviction as a basis for any immigration enforcement action, nor consider it a barrier to any form of immigration relief;
ensure that all people held in DHS custody have timely access to the full range of reproductive health care, including abortion care, regardless of the laws of the states where they may be detained; and
ensure that DHS will not deter or interfere with people’s ability to safely and freely travel from and return to their states and communities of residence for abortion care, regardless of their immigration status.
Download the letter here.
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The Immigration Hub is a national organization dedicated to advancing fair and just immigration policies through strategic leadership, innovative communications strategies, legislative advocacy and collaborative partnerships.