Abortion providers need protections now more than ever 

When the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last summer, it created “two Americas” where a person’s ability to access abortion depends on the state in which they live. In the last year, 22 states have banned or severely restricted people’s access to abortion, while a number of other states have moved to expand access to abortion by adding legal protections.  

Yet even in these so-called “haven states” for abortion access, abortion providers continue to face opposition that calls into question just how much of a sanctuary these states really are.  

Recently, a National Abortion Federation (NAF) member clinic in the process of opening a clinic in California — a state whose governor has been outspoken in declaring the state a sanctuary for abortion — had its lease agreement terminated. The landlord and local Beverly Hills government bowed to the pressure of anti-abortion groups who were demonstrating outside the office building where the clinic planned to open and showing up at City Council meetings to demand that it be stopped. The reason the landlord gave for rescinding the lease was that the clinic’s presence “will result in a breach of the peace”; the council members were silent.  

Similarly, in 2021, a NAF member clinic in Oregon nearly had its lease terminated after anti-abortion extremists targeted their landlord and pressured them to evict the clinic. Another provider in Washington reported to NAF that they were warned by their landlord that they might not be willing to extend the clinic’s lease, after more than 10 years of occupancy, if there were increased anti-abortion protests there.

Oregon passed one of the strongest abortion access laws in the country, the Reproductive Health Equity Act, and Washington’s governor, who has denounced the Supreme Court decision, in the last year has signed several laws to protect providers and access to abortion in the state, especially for patients traveling from other states.  

These disruption tactics are commonly used by the anti-abortion movement to disturb and intimidate communities to get their way, but they do not represent the views of most people. Most Americans support access to abortion in most cases. Legislators, landlords and other officials should not give in to the demands of a vocal minority — especially when the decisions they are making affect the lives and health of others.  

In Maryland, another place where leaders have declared the state a haven for abortion access, Gov. Larry Hogan last year withheld funds passed by the legislature intended to expand the types of health care providers in the state trained to provide abortion to include nurses and midwives. The funding was an acknowledgement that the state would need more trained providers to meet the increased demand from out-of-state patients who had lost access at home. The funds were in limbo for nearly a year until Gov. Wes Moore was elected and finally listened to voters by releasing the funds.  

Today, more than 25 million women of reproductive age live in a state where abortion is restricted or banned in most cases, and for these people, clinics in sanctuary states are the only options for in-clinic abortion access. But anti-abortion efforts like those in California, Oregon and Maryland show that even clinics in abortion-protective states face incredible challenges to keep their doors open to meet the increased patient need. 

Abortion providers in so-called sanctuary states are also facing a disproportionate increase in harassment and violence. As abortion bans force patients to leave their home state for care, anti-abortion extremists are also crossing state lines and shifting their attention to clinics in states where abortion remains legal and protected. The latest NAF Violence & Disruption Report shows that states with protective abortion laws had a disproportionate increase in disruption and violence, with a 913 percent increase in stalking, a 200 percent increase in arson and a 133 percent increase in bomb threats in 2022. 

Meaningful abortion access requires more than political speeches and proclamations promising sanctuary. Even, and perhaps especially, in states where abortion is legal, elected officials and others in power have a responsibility to support providers and help people easily and effectively access care. This includes ensuring that providers are able to do their jobs without fear of violence or retaliation and without unnecessary hurdles. 

It is going to take a lot of work to ensure access to abortion for anyone no matter where they live or how much money they have. Although there has been significant progress and protections in some states, that work is not done. And it requires standing up to those trying to infringe upon reproductive rights, whether they are protesters or politicians. 

Melissa Fowler is chief program officer at the National Abortion Federation.