WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the Supreme Court has released an egregious majority opinion that will devastate abortion access in the United States. Affirming the majority draft that was leaked last month, today’s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization ruling effectively overturns Roe v. Wade (1973), the landmark Supreme Court ruling that established a childbearing individual’s right to abortion. Today’s decision has disastrous consequences for Southeast Asian Americans and countless others across the country.
Quyên Đinh, SEARAC Executive Director, stated, “This decision’s criminalization of abortion and access to safe reproductive healthcare will place countless individuals, families, and communities at risk. Not only will this impact the physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing of those seeking abortions, but it also forces their families to bear an enormous and undue burden. Immigrants are at particular risk, with many now having to choose between an abortion or residency in the US. When we revoke access to comprehensive, necessary healthcare, we lose much of our progress in achieving equity. Pregnant people deserve the right to abortion, a choice that is often lifesaving in so many ways. We will not allow this decision to undermine the years of progress that community organizers and advocates have led in the fight for our care, and we urge President Biden and Congress to protect abortion access nationwide.”
SEARAC is proud to have joined NAPAWF and other AANHPI-serving organizations on the Asian American and Pacific Islander Abortion Solidarity Statement and will continue to fight for equitable, meaningful, affordable healthcare for all – including abortion. It is important to note that this decision does not make abortion illegal nationwide. It is still legal to travel to states and access care where abortion is still legal. Find a provider at abortionfinder.org.
