Statement from Lupe M. Rodríguez, Executive Director, National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice, on Idaho and Moyle, et al. v. United States Supreme Court Decision (EMTALA case)

While we’re relieved that the Supreme Court dismissed this case, they fell short of upholding protections for pregnant patients and ensuring that anti-abortion extremists can’t deny them emergency abortion care. Since the Supreme Court’s disastrous decision to overturn Roe v. Wade two years ago, access to abortion care has been decimated and we’ve seen time and again that pregnancy care has also become more difficult to access and many pregnant people are being denied the care they need.

Im/migrants, Latinas/xs, and other communities of color visit emergency rooms at higher rates because of systemic barriers to health care. For now, they are still entitled to the care they need to protect their health and lives but we know anti-abortion politicians and judges won’t stop trying to deny them this care.  No one should be denied care in a medical emergency, no matter who they are or where they live.

Unfortunately, we know that these attacks on our freedom will continue as part of anti-abortion extremists’ ultimate goal to ban abortion nationwide. Legal challenges like this case do incredible damage in our communities; causing confusion, fear, and uncertainty about abortion care, which makes it much easier for misinformation to spread and deters people from getting the care they need, especially Latinas/xs, who are already the most affected by abortion bans.

The National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice will continue to build power in Latino/x communities across the country and work to secure the federal right to abortion care so that everyone has access to the health care they need. We will not stop until we create a country with true reproductive freedom for all.