Our Justice Submits Supreme Court Amicus Brief for Dobbs v. Jackson
Abortion restrictions in other states have ripple effects across the country. That’s why we helped write an amicus brief for Dobbs v. Jackson, a Supreme Court case that will consider whether or not Mississippi’s 15-week abortion ban is constitutional. Amicus briefs are briefs that people and organizations with a strong interest in a case can submit to offer information or arguments about the impact of a particular lawsuit. Along with abortion funds and practical support groups across the country, we discuss the impact that abortion restrictions and stigma have on people seeking abortion care.
“In 2020, Our Justice, which operates an abortion assistance fund in Minnesota, typically provided $150 to $200 to first-trimester abortion patients and $300 to $500 to second-trimester abortion patients. Yet the starting cost of a first-trimester abortion in Minnesota is $700, and the starting cost of a second trimester abortion in Minnesota is $800. Even with support from Our Justice and partner organizations, Minnesota abortion patients sometimes spend weeks or months trying to gather the necessary funds to access care.”
As abortion access is severely restricted in states like Texas and Mississippi, people will continue to seek abortion care across state lines, traveling further and further to get the care they need. Even though abortion is legal here in Minnesota, we still have our own restrictions on abortion care, and it is nowhere near accessible to everyone who needs it. In addition to submitting an amicus brief, with the help of the Lawyering Project and Gender Justice, I wrote an individual declaration speaking to the specific barriers that people here Minnesota face when they try to access abortion care.
“Other challenges people face in accessing abortion care include the need for childcare and the need to take time off from work or school. The longer someone is away from home, the harder it can be for them to secure and pay for childcare. In addition, the longer someone is away from home, the harder and more stressful it can be to keep their whereabouts—and thus their pregnancy and abortion—confidential, including from their employers or abusive partners. Being forced to take multiple days off from work to travel to obtain abortion care can also jeopardize their employment.”
Abortion funds provide essential financial assistance and logistical support for people seeking abortions. We do our best to minimize barriers to care as much as we can under the constraints of national and state-level restrictions on abortion, and we’ll always fight to make sure abortion is accessible to every single person who needs it.