In response to the Supreme Court decision that will undo Roe v. Wade, Alianza Americas, a coalition of 58 migrant-led organizations in 18 states, and its digital organizing powerhouse Presente.org, released the following reaction.
“This ruling denies women the right to exercise autonomy over their own bodies and health. Women of color already face multiple obstacles in accessing health care, and this ruling will further reinforce racist restrictions that will block Black, Indigenous and Latina women from being in control of their own bodies,” said Mirtha Colón, head of the Alianza Americas board of directors, and president of Hondurans Against AIDS and the Central American Black Organization (ONECA).
“This Supreme Court decision will disproportionately jeopardize the health of women of color and people from low-income communities, given that three-quarters of abortion patients have low income levels; while 28 percent are Black and 25 percent are Hispanic. This is another ugly chapter in the horrific history of predominantly White authorities controlling the fertility of Black and Brown women,” said Odilia Romero of CIELO, an Indigenous women-led non-profit organization based in Los Angeles.
“This unprecedented setback for the right to privacy and reproductive care will have a major impact on undocumented women, who risk being stopped by ICE if they travel outside their state to access abortion,” said Patricia Montes, executive director of Centro Presente, a migrant rights advocacy group based in Boston. “Just as the U.S. government robs the freedom of migrants by locking them up in detention, the ruling robs our freedom over our own bodies.”
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Alianza Americas is the premier transnational advocacy network of Latin American migrant-led organizations working in the United States, across the Americas, and globally to create an inclusive, equitable and sustainable way of life for communities across North, Central and South America. Alianza’s digital organizing powerhouse is Presente.org.