THE PROBLEM OF ABORTION TRAFFICKING

Since the Dobbs decision, Texas residents have been leaving the State of Texas to obtain elective abortions in states like New Mexico, Colorado, and Kansas. In a June 23, 2023 story by KUT News, three out-of-state abortion facilities were interviewed about just how many of their clients were coming from Texas. In New Mexico, abortion provider Amy Hagstrom Miller shared that “Nearly all of the appointments made at Whole Woman’s Health in Albuquerque have been made by Texans.” In Colorado, abortion provider Leroy Carhart IV revealed that 47% of his patients at CARE Colorado in Pueblo were from Texas, while only 31% were from Colorado. Carhart also shared that Texans “most often arrive by car, driving in from cities and towns all over the state, whether making the 13-hour trek from Austin or a five-hour trip from Amarillo,” with some of the traveling costs offset by abortion assistance groups like the Lilith Fund and Jane’s Due Process. In Kansas, Planned Parenthood Great Plains president and CEO Emily Wales shared “around half of all patients at Planned Parenthood clinics in Kansas are Texans,” adding that the “heightened demand often surpasses the Wichita clinic’s capacity, and Texas patients are referred to the more distant Kansas City and Overland Park locations.”

Abortion trafficking can be defined as the act of transporting a pregnant mother and her unborn children from one place to another, often across state lines, for the purpose of an elective abortion. While the pregnant mother being trafficked may or may not be a willing participant in the act, the unborn child is most certainly always an unwilling participant. Abortion facilities in New Mexico utilize a variety of abortion trafficking organizations located in Texas to help pregnant mothers get to their state. Among those include: the Lilith Fund, Texas Equal Access (TEA) Fund, and Fund Texas Choice. These organizations provide financial support for Texas residents who are traveling outside the State of Texas for an elective abortion. Abortion trafficking organizations often assist with everything from flights, bus tickets, ride shares, and hotel stays to cash for gas, food, rental car fees, and anything else relating to their abortion travel experience.

On March 26, 2024, the Washington Post reported on those who had gathered for the Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. the FDA case before the Supreme Court of the United States. The article shared about how Lindsay London, with Amarillo Reproductive Freedom Alliance, “has driven women to Albuquerque and Denver to receive a surgical abortion” and “provides resources for people to obtain mifepristone.” Also in attendance outside of the Supreme Court was Courtney Brown. Brown described the City of Amarillo as ‘ground zero’ in the fight against abortion. Brown’s coffee shop, 806 Coffee, is one of several businesses in Amarillo working with the abortion assistance organization known as Jane’s Due Process. 

Jane’s Due Process is an organization known for assisting minors to get abortions across state lines without parental consent. One abortion facility used by Jane’s Due Process is Alamo Women’s Clinic in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Alamo Women’s Clinic is operated by Alan Braid, who relocated his abortion facility from San Antonio, Texas. 

Under the Costs & Funding tab on their website, Alamo Women’s Clinic states, “All inclusive. No hidden fees. Funding is available. We believe money should never be an obstacle to getting the abortion care you need.” Under the heading “Funding is Available,” the website states, “Below we’ve listed numerous organizations that will cover some or all of your abortion costs. Please reach out and apply to those that best pertain to you.” Listed under this section, for Texas residents, are the following organizations: Buckle Bunnies Fund, Jane’s Due Process, Support Your Sistah, The Lilith Fund, and Fund Texas Choice. Jane’s Due Process is described on the Alamo Women’s Clinic website as providing “funding to help cover the costs of travel and cover the cost of accommodation in its entirety for Texas minors who must travel for abortion care.” Fund Texas Choice is described on the Alamo Women’s Clinic website as seeking “to make it easier for people to access the reproductive care they need by helping with a way to get to the clinic and/or a place to stay.” 

On May 9, 2023, Alamo Women’s Clinic posted on their Facebook page, "Texas Teens – if you are under 18 and seeking an abortion, there is funding available. Abortions Care and all travel and expenses are FREE. Compassionate, Kind and Discreet staff. No Parental consent is needed in Albuquerque or Illinois. Call us for help." On May 13, 2023, Alamo Women’s Clinic shared a post from Jane’s Due Process’ Facebook account. The post read, "Did you know that last week we started helping Texas teens travel out of state for abortion care? Well we did — and we’re ready to celebrate with you." On October 24, 2023, Alamo Women’s Clinic posted on their Facebook page a link to a post on the Lilith Fund’s Instagram account. An info-graphic read, “Need to travel out of Texas?” The post read, “Here’s what you need to know if you’re traveling out of Texas for your abortion. No one should have to leave home to access basic, essential healthcare like abortion. You are not alone and we are here to help you.”

In an interview with National Public Radio published January 23, 2024, it was reported that 85% of Alan Braid’s business in Albuquerque, New Mexico, comes from the State of  Texas. Braid told the news outlet that abortion travel bans like the one passed in Lubbock County and the one that was being discussed in Amarillo, were having an impact on clinics throughout New Mexico. According to Braid, “They’re having higher no-show rates because people are afraid to drive through Lubbock and Amarillo.” 

On September 10, 2024, The Texas Observer reported, "The chilling effect has already deterred patients. Amy Hagstrom Miller, who ran a network of abortion clinics in Texas before relocating her Whole Woman’s Health centers to New Mexico and other states after Roe was overturned, said she has already seen the impact on her patients. When news broke that Lubbock County would be considering an abortion travel ban, every patient from Dallas canceled their appointments at the Albuquerque clinic." 

The same article reports, "Andrea Gallegos—who helps manage two clinics in New Mexico after she relocated from Texas last year with her father, longtime abortion provider Dr. Alan Braid—echoed the observation. The clinics, whose Texas-based patients make up 85 percent of their clientele, have experienced higher than average no-show rates because people are afraid to drive through Lubbock and Amarillo." 

Gallegos stated, “We get questions from patients wondering if it’s still safe for them to come here... There is a real sense of fear that they will get in trouble just for doing that. Even before the travel ban, patients in banned states like Texas felt deep anxiety, now it’s just gotten so much worse."

The headline of a story published on February 18, 2026, in The Denver Post reads, "Colorado abortion assistance fund reports record year, with 40% of patients it helped from Texas."

The story states, "A Colorado-based abortion fund has increased its spending on patient assistance more than tenfold since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022 . . . The Cobalt Abortion Fund reported spending more than $2.4 million in 2025 to help women pay for abortion procedures and associated support, such as travel and lodging. In 2021, the last full year before the Supreme Court overturned Roe, ending its establishment of constitutional protections for abortion, the fund spent about $207,000 on those services . . . In all, the fund paid for nearly 4,000 abortions and provided extra support to about 1,100 patients, its leaders said Wednesday. The fund was started by Cobalt, an abortion rights advocacy group. Nearly 40% of the $1.74 million spent on abortion procedures last year went to help Texans, according to Cobalt — second only to Coloradans, who received about 48% of that money. Texans also accounted for 86% of the $665,000 that went to support those receiving the procedure."

Currently, there is no state law prohibiting the abortion trafficking of a pregnant mother for an abortion outside the State of Texas.

While there is no state law prohibiting abortion trafficking, there are local ordinances which do just that. The Hopkins County Sanctuary County for the Unborn Ordinance, which is identical in substance to the Lubbock County Sanctuary County for the Unborn Ordinance, is one such ordinance. The ordinance reads, "D. PROHIBITED ABORTION TRAFFICKING WITHIN THE UNINCORPORATED AREA OF  HOPKINS COUNTY, TEXAS (a) Except as provided by subsection (c), it shall be unlawful for any person to knowingly transport any individual for the purpose of providing or obtaining an elective abortion, regardless of where the elective abortion will occur. This section shall apply only if the transportation of such individual begins, ends, or passes through the unincorporated area of Hopkins County. (b) It shall be unlawful for any person to knowingly aid or abet the conduct described in subsection (a). The prohibition in this section includes, but is not limited to, the following acts: (1) Offering, providing, or lending money, digital currency, or other resources with the knowledge that it will be used to pay for, offset, or reimburse the costs of transportation prohibited by subsection (a); and (2) Engaging in any conduct that would make one an accomplice to a violation of subsection (a) under the principles of complicity set forth in section 7.02 of the Texas Penal Code." Those who violate such a law are subject to lawsuits for each individual violation.