Council Adopts Motion To Establish The City Of Los Angeles As A Safe-Haven For Abortion Care

For Immediate Release: October 19, 2022

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LOS ANGELES — Yesterday, the Los Angeles City Council adopted a motion introduced by Councilmember Nithya Raman calling for an ordinance to ban City resources from being used to detain persons procuring, performing, or aiding in abortion care or to cooperate with out-of-state investigations related to abortion care procured in the City of Los Angeles. Additionally, the motion instructs the City Administrative Officer (CAO) to report back on the feasibility of allocating funding to help subsidize costs for persons from other states seeking abortion care in the City of Los Angeles. This vote follows the June 24, 2022 Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, reversing a 50-year legal precedent protecting a woman’s right to obtain an abortion. 

“This summer’s Supreme Court decision dealt a devastating blow to our civil liberties,” said Councilmember Raman. “Thirteen states have already banned abortion outright, and many are concurrently considering legislation that would criminalize out-of-state abortion care. As we move forward in this new reality, we must ensure that Los Angeles acts as a sanctuary city for those seeking or assisting abortion care from outside our borders.”

A study by UCLA’s Center on Reproductive Health, Law, and Policy estimates that 8,000 to 16,000 more people will travel to California each year for abortion care. Los Angeles will thus begin to see an inflow of people seeking access to abortion care within City boundaries.  

“It is essential that Los Angeles takes firm and concrete actions for people seeking abortion care,” said Celinda Vázquez, Executive Director of Planned Parenthood Advocacy Project Los Angeles County (PPAP). “We applaud Councilmembers Raman and Price for championing this motion to protect people seeking or providing care. While other parts of the country erode protections for abortion rights, Los Angeles must continue to embrace our role as a leader in reproductive justice.”

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