Abortion providers are trying to open new clinics as close as possible to states with bans
In the weeks since the Supreme Court overturned Roe and dismantled federal abortion protections, conservative states have begun enforcing bans on the procedure. Now, reproductive health providers have started leaving those states, working to open new outposts for abortion on the borders in nearby states that appear likely to maintain access.
Providers hope the new clinics can help serve the surge of patients now expected to travel for abortions. Some have had plans in the works for months. Others are only now figuring out where and how to relocate, and what their new presence could look like.
Strategic Relocation Efforts
Several clinics have already announced specific plans to move operations near borders to ensure continued care:
- Whole Woman’s Health announced plans to close its four Texas abortion clinics and open one in neighboring New Mexico.
- CHOICES, based in Memphis, Tennessee, is opening a clinic in Carbondale, Illinois, the closest state expected to protect abortion rights.
- Red River Women’s Clinic, which was North Dakota’s sole abortion clinic, is planning to relocate across the river to Minnesota.
- Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the Mississippi clinic at the center of the Supreme Court case overturning Roe v. Wade, is moving to Las Cruces, New Mexico — just 20 minutes from the Texas border.
- Planned Parenthood is working to open a new clinic in Ontario, Oregon, to serve the patients expected to leave neighboring Idaho in search of abortions.
The Impact of State Bans on Healthcare Access
The pattern reflects a growing reality: About a dozen states will soon be tasked with providing the majority of the nation’s abortions, per an analysis by the Guttmacher Institute. But in those states, there aren’t enough clinics to provide care for everyone in need. Before a six-week ban took effect in Texas last fall, about 55,000 abortions were performed in-state each year. Since September 1, people who traveled out of state largely went to Oklahoma for the procedure — until that state implemented its own total abortion ban in June.
Now, both Texans and Oklahomans have limited nearby options. “There’s no way the existing providers in New Mexico can accommodate that kind of volume of need,” said Amy Hagstrom Miller, CEO of Whole Woman’s Health. Wait times for abortion appointments have already increased to two to three weeks from one to two days.
Clinic Relocation Data
| Clinic / Provider | Origin State (Ban Area) | New Destination State |
|---|---|---|
| Whole Woman’s Health | Texas | New Mexico |
| CHOICES | Tennessee | Illinois |
| Red River Women’s Clinic | North Dakota | Minnesota |
| Jackson Women’s Health | Mississippi | New Mexico |
| Planned Parenthood | Idaho | Oregon |
Addressing the Patient Surge
“Any idea someone would have to expand services, we’re considering,” said Dr. Kristina Tocce, the medical director of Planned Parenthood Rocky Mountains. If these clinics do manage to open, the influx could alleviate some of the strain abortion providers in New Mexico and southern Illinois are facing. Multiple abortion providers are looking to open sites in southern Illinois — a change that “will be really helpful,” because current patient volumes have skyrocketed since Roe was overturned.