In 2023, Texas had the most residents traveling out of state to reach abortion freedom. In many cases, they are traveling up to 12 hours one way by car, farther than anyone else in the country.
But for those living in the border zone in Texas and who have an issue with legal residency that drive is not an option—because of the approximately 19 interior checkpoints stationed by U.S. Border Patrol in Texas.
A new report by the ACLU looks at the intersection of the Texas near-absolute abortion ban and immigration enforcement and finds that many in South Texas have few options if they have an unwanted or nonviable pregnancy.
The report is titled “Trapped in Texas: How Federal — and Now State — Immigration Enforcement Traps People Trying to Escape Texas’ Abortion Ban.”
Sarah Mehta is a Senior Policy Counsel at the ACLU and authored the report.
Maternal Mortality
The rate of Texas women who died because of pregnancy or childbirth rose sharply in 2020 and 2021 to its highest point since the state started tracking maternal deaths in 2013.
Even excluding deaths related to COVID-19, the numbers were worse than usual.
The Texas Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Review Committee released its report this month.
Rep. Donna Howard, a Democrat from Austin’s House District 48 and the chair of the Texas Women’s Health Caucus, says the findings are alarming.
Jolt v. Ken Paxton
A Texas-based nonprofit is suing state Attorney General Ken Paxton after they say he demanded private voter records in August.
Jolt Initiative, an organization that "trains community members to conduct nonpartisan voter registration" and encourages Texas Latinos to vote, filed the lawsuit against Paxton on September 13.
The nonprofit claims Paxton sent a letter stating it must share documents with the names of Volunteer Deputy Registrars (VDRs) and people it helped register to vote.
Jolt Initiative says this is "unlawful voter intimidation" coming from the AG’s office.
An attorney for Jolt, Mimi Marziani, says Paxton is following a clear pattern of using his office to limit voter access in Texas.
