During the Sept. 10, 2024, presidential debate, Trump praised himself and the Supreme Court for the 2022 overturning of Roe v. Wade.
“The states will determine by vote or legislation, or perhaps both, and whatever they decide must be the law of the land,” Trump said in a video he posted to Truth Social in April 2024.
On Oct. 1, 2024, Trump reinforced his stance again, posting on X that he would veto any national abortion ban put through Congress in favor of allowing every state to decide for itself how to regulate abortion.
New Mexico’s reproductive freedoms and gender-affirming care are supported by both voters and the legislature, according to American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico Reproductive Rights and Gender Equity Attorney Jazmyn Taitingfong.
“We have laws protecting privacy in healthcare and gender-affirming care,” Taitingfong said. “However, given the national climate, it’s clear there will be continued attacks on health care decisions, bodily autonomy and gender-affirming care. These are areas we’ll continue monitoring and responding to.”
In 2021, New Mexico repealed a requirement that a parent or legal guardian must consent to a minor’s abortion, according to the Center for Reproductive Rights.
In September 2024, the health branch of the University of New Mexico began construction on an abortion clinic that will, once completed, serve neighboring states such as Texas and Oklahoma, according to The Associated Press. The project is being constructed in partnership with Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains and other groups.
New Mexico’s position as an abortion safe haven was further strengthened by a ruling by the state Supreme Court earlier this month when abortion restrictions from the cities of Hobbs and Clovis, and Lea and Roosevelt counties, were struck down in a unanimous opinion, according to the AP.
The restrictions initially attempted to use the 19th-century Comstock Act to prevent opposition to the ordinances, but Justice C. Shannon Bacon wrote in the majority opinion that the state law prevented city or county authorities from regulating abortion access, according to the AP.
New Mexicans, including rural New Mexicans, overwhelmingly support abortion access, according to Bold Futures New Mexico Executive Director Charlene Bencomo.
“The reality is states like Texas have been working for years to limit access to abortion care, so people have been coming to New Mexico for the care they need,” Bencomo said.
Dylan Anthony is a freelance reporter for the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at news@dailylobocom or on X @dailylobo
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