Mother of Amber Nicole Thurman, Who Died Under Georgia's Abortion Ban to Speak at Oscar-Nominated Film Screening

 Free & Just and the Feminist Center host Atlanta screening of THE DEVIL IS BUSY with clinic staff and advocates

ATLANTA, GA – As the Oscar-nominated documentary short, THE DEVIL IS BUSY, earns national attention, the Atlanta abortion clinic at the center of the film is hosting a rare screening, bringing together healthcare workers, advocates, and families living the reality it depicts.

Free & Just and the Feminist Center for Reproductive Liberation will host a free, private screening on Tuesday, March 10 at 6:30 pm ET, followed by a panel featuring clinic staff, local providers, and Shanette Williams, whose daughter Amber Nicole Thurman died after being denied timely care under Georgia's abortion ban.

The screening comes as Georgia faces mounting scrutiny over its six-week abortion ban. Last fall, ProPublica reported that two women, Amber Nicole Thurman and Candi Miller, died preventable deaths after delays in care caused by the state's ban. Georgia's Maternal Mortality Review Committee confirmed the deaths were avoidable. Soon after, state officials quietly dismissed the entire committee. 

Join Free & Just and the Feminist Center for Reproductive Liberation on March 10 for a free screening of THE DEVIL IS BUSY and brief panel discussion about how Georgia’s abortion ban impacts patients and providers. Snacks and drinks provided! 

WHO:  

• Crista Irwin, PhD, RN, Research and Education Coordinator, Feminist Center for Reproductive Liberation, featured in THE DEVIL IS BUSY

• Aneisha “AJ” Jacobs, WHGRNP-BC, Director of Nursing, Feminist Center for Reproductive Liberation

• Suki O, Ultrasound technician and abortion care provider in the Atlanta area 

• Shanette Williams, Mother of Amber Nicole Thurman

WHAT: THE DEVIL IS BUSY film screening and panel with clinic staff, patients, and advocates

WHEN: Tuesday, March 10 —  Doors at 6:30 pm ET 

WHERE: Please RSVP with Kelly Rimar, kelly@freeandjust.us for location and arrival instructions

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Dr. Kamilah Evans, Black Doctors, Doulas, and Advocates Mark Black History Month by Spotlighting How Abortion Bans Harm Black Women, Patients, & Families

WATCH HERE

WASHINGTON, DC –– Today, Dr. Kamilah Evans, MD hosted a roundtable with Black doctors, doulas, and advocates to commemorate Black History Month and spotlight how abortion bans harm Black families and exacerbate the Black maternal health crisis. Abortion bans block access to timely, comprehensive, and inclusive medical care during pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum — deepening an already deadly maternal health crisis and existing disparities for Black women and patients.

“Although this work is extremely hard, I cannot walk away, because it's needed, and I'm just one of those people. I care about justice and doing it in a way that makes people feel comfortable through some of the most vulnerable points of people's lives,” said Dr. Kamilah Evans, a full time OBGYN Generalist physician, content creator and dedicated mentor through her social media platform, @MedMilah.

During the roundtable, storytellers discussed how abortion bans have impacted their families, their work, and their advocacy for reproductive freedom amid anti-abortion attacks on care at the local and federal level. 

“If Candi had access to a healthy, viable, and reliable resource, she would have taken that. She was afraid to go to the doctor because she already had a history of hospitals, and they weren't favorable. If she had gone to the hospital, there was still no guarantee that she would have gotten the services she needed,” said Turiya Tomlin-Randall, whose sister Candi Miller lost her life in Georgia because of the state’s abortion ban during a high-risk pregnancy. “Politicians are playing politics and mental gymnastics with people's right to vote and what people actually want. How do politicians create these laws when we know that even conservative people want to maintain access to abortion care? It's just ridiculous what's going on in the United States and that's why it's important for us to continue to speak and be a voice.”

“If you get a positive pregnancy test, abortion doulas are trained to help you go through things like how you're feeling with the positive test or the negative test, and whatever you're feeling at the moment to process the news of your pregnancy. They then help you make the best decision for yourself and give you the resources to get the care that you need,” said Nandi Jacobs, an abortion, birth, and postpartum doula based in Atlanta, Georgia. “When you're able to feel like you're in control of your body and know what's happening, you can make better decisions and the best decision for you and your family.”

“Right now, we have a situation where we have maternity care deserts in states with abortion bans, especially in rural communities. When abortion is criminalized OBGYNs flee and right now there is a mass exodus of providers in rural communities and marginalized areas. Clinics are closing, and we know that when clinics close, the community loses its primary source of care like screenings and contraception,” said Dr. DeShawn Taylor, an award-winning gynecologist and family planning specialist who owns the Desert Star Institute for Family Planning in Phoenix, Arizona. “At the federal level, anti-abortion attacks exacerbate the maternal health crises and we know that communities that are already marginalized, and have a difficult time accessing care, are going to bear the brunt of the consequences.”

“How did we get here? We got here because politics is playing a role in healthcare, and that does not work. It doesn't work,” said Shanette Williams, whose daughter Amber Nicole Thurman lost her life in Georgia after being denied medical care. “Absolute strangers are telling doctors ‘you cannot treat this patient because if you do, this is what's gonna happen.’ So the doctor-patient relationship is broken. The system is broken. And this is why we're here today.”

Abortion bans have deadly consequences for people across the country and we know that to be especially true for Black women and Black families. As the Trump administration and anti-abortion extremists work to ban abortion nationwide, we must be clear about the harms our communities face as a result of abortion bans. 

If you are interested in speaking with any of the participants in the press event, please contact malachi@freeandjust.us. You can watch the virtual press event here. 

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Free & Just is fighting to stop attacks on reproductive freedom and rights. We’re working with people across the country to share real stories to show the devastating consequences of attacks on our reproductive freedom. We all deserve the right to control our bodies and lives. That’s why we’re sharing our stories, raising our voices, and fighting for our future.

State Senator Natalie Murdock and North Carolina Patient Advocates Spotlight How Abortion Bans Harm Black Families

RALEIGH, NC –– Today, State Senator Natalie Murdock, patient storytellers, and advocates joined Free & Just to spotlight how abortion bans disproportionately harm Black communities. Abortion bans block access to timely, comprehensive, and inclusive medical care during pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum — deepening an already deadly maternal health crisis and existing disparities for Black women and patients.

“Politicians make crappy physicians, and we warned my colleagues in the General Assembly that women would die as a result of this ban,” said State Senator Natalie Murdock, who honored Greensboro Police Officer Ciji Graham, 34, who died after being denied standard medical care under North Carolina’s abortion ban. “We know that there will be more deaths as long as we interfere in the jobs of physicians for the sake of controlling women’s bodies. Now more than ever, we have to bear witness and tell these stories so that one day, North Carolina will get it right and provide everyone with the reproductive care they deserve.”

“Let me be clear: abortion bans put in place by anti-abortion politicians and judges are efforts to control our bodies and our lives, take away our freedom, and force their will on the rest of us,” said Gabby Long, who works as a Community Outreach & Patient Advocate with A Woman’s Choice in Raleigh. “Black women are more likely to live in states where abortion is banned or under threat, like here in the South. We must stand with independent clinics across this country that are doing the majority of this work quietly, courageously, and without recognition. Because when we strengthen clinics, we strengthen communities, especially our most vulnerable.”

“The people who hold political power in this country are moving us in the wrong direction. Across the country and here in the South, access to sexual and reproductive health care is increasingly under attack. Black communities continue to face disproportionate barriers to care, rising Black maternal mortality rates, and a growing hostile environment that threatens our bodily autonomy, safety, and futures,” said Khamaria Long, a Youth Community Organizer with Planned Parenthood South Atlantic.”Health care is an essential service. But rather than working to increase access to affordable health care and invest in public health infrastructure, the leaders of our federal government and the North Carolina General Assembly continue to prioritize corporate interests and tax cuts for the wealthiest among us.”

“Abortion bans do not improve maternal health outcome – in many cases they make accessing prenatal care even more complicated,” said Maya Jackson, Founder and Executive Director of MAAME, Inc., a local organization offering community-rooted care by training birth workers and working to expand access to high-quality maternal care. “When care is delayed, restricted, or dismissed, health outcomes suffer. Black families feel these impacts first. When care is politicized, every woman faces challenges.”

At least five Black women including Amber Thurman, Candi Miller, Tierra Walker, Porsha Ngumezi, and Ciji Graham, a law enforcement officer from North Carolina, died after being denied access to timely abortion care as a result of anti-abortion attacks that exacerbate existing hurdles facing Black women seeking reproductive health care.

You can watch the event here. If you are interested in speaking with any of the participants in the press event, please contact kelly@freeandjust.us. 

Free & Just is committed to fighting for reproductive freedom. Join us in sharing stories, raising voices, and securing our future. 

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Free & Just is fighting to stop attacks on reproductive freedom and rights. We’re working with people across the country to share real stories to show the devastating consequences of attacks on our reproductive freedom. We all deserve the right to control our bodies and lives. That’s why we’re sharing our stories, raising our voices, and fighting for our future.

ICYMI: The Trump Administration is Distracting From the Truth & Rolling Back Access to Reproductive Care

Trump and his allies are pushing toward a national abortion ban

WASHINGTON, DC –– Last night at the State of the Union Address, President Trump boasted about advancing a deeply unpopular agenda that has left millions of Americans unable to access health care. Since returning to office, Trump has spearheaded deadly new attacks on reproductive freedom, worked closely with extremists to weaponize federal power to ban abortion nationwide, and is rolling back access to all types of reproductive health care, including IVF treatment.

While feigning support for IVF access for women, Trump failed to mention that his proposals are putting lives at risk and gutting health care for millions of women. Despite proclaiming himself as the so-called “fertilization president,” Trump and his administration have not provided any additional funding or support to bolster access to IVF.  In fact, they are embracing fringe activists calling for so-called “restorative reproductive medicine,” an ineffective alternative that experts have debunked for treating infertility.

Right now, health care costs are rising and the administration is prioritizing an extreme agenda that harms women and families nationwide. From using federal agencies to roll back access to mifepristone, to sneaking new national abortion restrictions into critical health care legislation and undermining federal protections for lifesaving care, the consequences of this administration’s attacks on reproductive freedom are deadly.

Bottomline: Trump, extremist groups, and Republican lawmakers are covertly pulling every lever at their disposal to ban abortion nationwide – no matter how many lives are lost. 

If you are interested in speaking to patients impacted by attacks on abortion during President Trump’s second term, including the folks below, please contact Kelly Rimar kelly@freeandjust.us. 

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Free & Just Responds to President Trump’s State of the Union Address: “Extremist Groups have a Dangerous Hold on Trump and Republican Lawmakers”

WASHINGTON, DC –– During his State of the Union Address this evening, President Trump boasted about advancing a deeply unpopular agenda that has left millions of Americans unable to access the health care they need. Since returning to office, Trump has spearheaded deadly new attacks on reproductive freedom, worked closely with extremists to weaponize federal power to ban abortion nationwide, and is rolling back access to all types of reproductive health care, including IVF treatment. 

Abortion bans are killing women and devastating communities across the country. Still, the Trump administration and Republican lawmakers remain committed to banning abortion nationwide, even though most Americans of all stripes reject anti-abortion extremism and do not want politicians intervening in their personal, private medical decisions. 

“Tonight, President Trump refused to acknowledge the painful reality that abortion bans are killing women across this country, and his administration wants to make it even harder to access care,” said Veronica Ingham, Managing Director of Free & Just. “Trump and his Republican allies are out-of-step with the vast majority of Americans who do not want our rights rolled back even further, including their own supporters. The truth is that extremist groups have a dangerous hold on Trump and Republican lawmakers, and they are deadset on banning abortion nationwide – no matter how many lives are lost. Don’t be fooled by what you heard tonight – we are a country in crisis led by people loyal to radical extremists.”

If you are interested in speaking to patients impacted by attacks on abortion during President Trump’s second term, please contact Kelly Rimar kelly@freeandjust.us. 

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NEW DATA: Pregnant Women are Dying at Higher Rates in States with Abortion Bans

Anti-abortion extremists continue to push banning despite data reinforcing that abortion bans are killing women

WASHINGTON, DC –– New data from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Columbia University Irving Medical Center spotlights how pregnant women are dying at higher rates in states with abortion bans. The study concludes that further restrictions on abortion may result in higher maternal deaths across the country. 

“This research confirms what we have known all along: abortion bans are killing women and making pregnancy more dangerous across the country,” said Veronica Ingham, Managing Director of Free & Just. “We know that at least seven women have died because they were denied timely medical care in states with extreme abortion bans, and more lives will be lost. Instead of working to address the maternal mortality crisis across the country, Trump and his extremist allies are doing everything they can to ban abortion nationwide. The lawmakers pushing extreme abortion bans must answer to the families of those who died waiting for medical care.” 

The stakes have never been higher. From weaponizing federal agencies to roll back access to medication abortion, which could leave as many as 64.5 million people across the country without access to care, to sneaking new national abortion restrictions into critical health care legislation – the consequences of attacks on reproductive freedom are deadly. Abortion bans are jeopardizing the lives of millions of women across the country, and Republicans want to go further and continue their crusade on abortion care at the federal level.   

Bottomline: Abortion bans are killing women but that isn’t stopping extremists from launching new attacks on reproductive freedom. The Trump administration is pulling every lever at their disposal to ban abortion nationwide — even in states where it is legally protected — no matter the cost. 

If you are interested in speaking to health care providers or patient storytellers who have received abortion care, please contact Kelly Rimar kelly@freeandjust.us and Malachi White malachi@freeandjust.us.  

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ICYMI: RFK Jr. Spent His First Year as HHS Secretary Trying to Ban Medication Abortion

More than 64.5 million Americans could lose access to medication abortion under Trump and RFK Jr.

WASHINGTON, DC –– This week marks one year since Robert F. Kennedy (RFK) Jr. was sworn in as President Trump’s Secretary of Health and Human Services. Throughout his first year as HHS Secretary, RFK Jr. has embraced dangerous disinformation and worked to ban access to medication abortion nationwide – even in states where it is currently legal. 

SNAPSHOT: RFK JR. IS WEAPONIZING HHS TO BAN MEDICATION ABORTION 

• May 2025: Despite decades of scientific evidence confirming that the abortion medication mifepristone is safe and effective, RFK Jr. directs the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to relitigate its safety.

• September 2025: At a Senate Finance Committee hearing, RFK Jr. At a Senate Finance Committee hearing, RFK Jr. advances unfounded claims about the safety data on mifepristone and suggests the administration may take steps to limit access to medication abortion.

• October 2025: RFK Jr. doubles down on false claims linking Tylenol use during pregnancy with autism diagnoses, further politicizing women’s health care.

• January 2026: Under RFK Jr., HHS formally rescinds Biden‑era guidance that required pharmacies that receive federal funds to dispense abortion medication. The new rule empowers pharmacies to deny patients their prescribed medications, including drugs prescribed for autoimmune diseases, ectopic pregnancy, or to manage a miscarriage. 

“RFK Jr.’s loyalty to anti-abortion extremist groups comes at a real cost to the health and safety of millions of Americans,” said Veronica Ingham, Managing Director of Free & Just. “Instead of keeping our communities safe and healthy, RFK Jr. has spent his entire first year in office lying to the public and caving to extremists. Attacks on medication abortion are dangerous and deeply unpopular with most Americans. There is no place for politics at the pharmacy counter, and we deserve better from HHS.”

If you are interested in speaking to health care providers who regularly prescribe mifepristone, or patients who have used the medication, including the folks below, please contact Kelly Rimar kelly@freeandjust.us. 

AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEW: PATIENTS, PROVIDERS, AND ADVOCATES

Emma Burns, Flagstaff, AZ: Emma Burns found out she was pregnant with twins while a college student. She made the decision to have an abortion after calling a hotline and was referred to the only clinic with appointments in the entire state. After her first appointment, where she was required by Arizona state law to view the ultrasound and listen to the cardiac activity, Emma had to wait a week and a half to see the physician again, which meant receiving her medication abortion on the exact last possible day she was legally able. 

Dr. Kristin Lyerly, De Pere, WI: Dr. Kristin Lyerly is an OB/Gyn who specializes in care for rural and underserved communities. Dr. Lyerly treats patients who have traveled from out of state for abortion care, including providing abortion medication, and was one of several physicians involved in litigation against the state of Wisconsin over efforts to revive the state’s 1849 abortion ban. 

Elise Warren, Portland, OR: Elise Warren speaks openly about her experience taking abortion medication on social media and is known online as a safe, confidential resource for her younger peers. Elise credits access to medication abortion with saving her life, both by protecting her health and allowing her to leave her abusive partner. 

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ICYMI: Trump Administration Covertly Bans Abortion Care for Veterans – Even in Cases of Rape and Incest

460,000 women veterans will lose access to abortion care, as Trump administration continues push towards national abortion ban. 

WASHINGTON, DC ––  Over the holidays, while most Americans were distracted, the Trump administration covertly banned abortion care for women veterans at Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical facilities, rolling back the Biden-era protections. The policy first announced last August, and enacted December 22 right ahead of the holidays, blocks access to abortion care and counseling through the VA, even in cases of rape, incest, or medical emergencies. The Trump administration knows that attacks on abortion are widely unpopular, and it is no coincidence that they moved to ban abortion across the VA when few Americans were paying attention. 

Veterans, patient advocates, and lawmakers have warned of the sweeping harm the ban will have on veterans and their families. This week, Senate Democrats introduced a Congressional Review Act resolution to overturn the ban. At a Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee hearing, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) blasted the administration while questioning VA Secretary Doug Collins. 

“In late December, not long ago, the Trump administration quietly implemented a near-total abortion ban at the VA,” said Senator Patty Murray. “VA’s final rule prevents the more than 460,000 women veterans of reproductive age — over half of whom live in states with abortion bans — from receiving abortion care at the VA now. VA providers aren’t even allowed to discuss abortion as an option with veteran patients.”

“I just want everyone to know, under this VA Final Rule — no exceptions for rape or incest. And I find that outrageous.”

Veronica Ingham, Managing Director of Free & Just, Veronica Ingham released the following statement:

“Women in uniform deserve our utmost respect for protecting and serving this country. This latest ban demonstrates what we have always known — that the Trump administration is pushing for a national abortion ban and using veterans as their guinea pigs to do it,” said Veronica Ingham, Senior Campaigns Director for Free & Just. “Trump and anti-abortion extremists are hoping we won’t notice all that they are doing to turn back the clock on our rights. They have no regard for the women who defended this country, and they acted to ban abortion for veterans when no one was watching because they did not want backlash from the American public, who overwhelmingly support reproductive freedom.”

Under Trump, extremists are more emboldened than ever and are launching new attacks on our freedoms. The Trump administration is pulling every lever at their disposal to ban abortion nationwide — even in states where it is legally protected. 

From weaponizing federal agencies to roll back access to medication abortion, to sneaking new national abortion restrictions into critical health care legislation and undermining federal protections for lifesaving care, the consequences of attacks on reproductive freedom are deadly and will impact everyone.

If you are interested in speaking to storytellers about the impacts of the administration's attacks on abortion care for veterans, please contact Malachi White, malachi@freeandjust.us. 

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Free & Just is fighting to stop attacks on reproductive freedom and rights. We’re working with people across the country to share real stories to show the devastating consequences of attacks on our reproductive freedom. We all deserve the right to control our bodies and lives. That’s why we’re sharing our stories, raising our voices, and fighting for our future.

On the Would-be 53rd Anniversary of Roe v. Wade Senator Kelda Roys, Wisconsin Patients, and Advocates Spotlight Latest Threats to Abortion Care

Overturning Roe was just the start — anti-abortion extremists are working overtime to ban abortion nationwide

MADISON, WI –– Today, patient storytellers and advocates joined Free & Just to mark what would have been the 53rd anniversary of the landmark Roe v. Wade decision and spotlight the latest threats to abortion care for women and families nationwide. For nearly 50 years, Roe v. Wade protected the legal right to abortion until the Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision. Since then, reproductive health care and pregnancy have become less safe in America as anti-abortion extremists are aggressively pushing to ban abortion nationwide – even in states where it is currently protected. 

The would-be anniversary of Roe comes as President Trump enters his second year of his second term. Trump and his allies have moved swiftly to enact their extreme anti-abortion agenda, using every lever at their disposal to attack abortion care — no matter how many lives are lost. From attempts to ban medication abortion, to stripping away protections allowing doctors to provide lifesaving emergency care to patients in need, and banning access to abortion care for veterans who served our country – this administration has proven that they will stop at nothing to ban abortion nationwide. 

As far-right extremists attack all Americans’ health care, we must remember that access to reproductive care is under attack. At today’s event, Senator Roys, storytellers, and advocates uplifted the stories of women and patients affected by ongoing efforts to roll back rights on reproductive freedom nationwide. 

“Roe is one in a line of cases that talks about Americans having the dignity and having the privacy of autonomy. It is not just Roe that is under attack by right-wing ideologues; it is that whole line of cases that guarantees each and every one of us the right to make our own decisions about our lives,” said Wisconsin State Senator Kelda Roys (D-Madison). “Republican politicians will stop at nothing to strip women of our most basic and fundamental right to our own health and our own lives. We're not going to be silenced or demoralized by anti-choice politicians who want to silence us. Together, we can create a future where every single one of us has the autonomy to make our own choices, to chart our own life course. Regardless of what any individual might feel about abortion, every single one of us deserves to live free in a society where we get to make our own decisions about our own health, our own bodies, and our own lives free from political interference. That's what it means to have healthy, thriving families and live in a free society.”

“Here in our nation, and here in the state of Wisconsin, our freedoms are under attack. And we will not stand back and watch our freedoms be taken away from us,” said Dana Pellebon, patient storyteller and Executive Director of RCC Sexual Violence Resource Center. “When we say reproductive justice and reproductive freedom, that means that what we want is for every person with a uterus to be able to choose what they want to do with their body, and what they want to do, with how they choose to move forward with their medical decisions.” 

“Project 2025 made clear what was at stake. It was not just about abortion policy. It was about power. It was about using the machinery of government to impose one narrow religious ideology on a religiously diverse nation. As a Baptist, I must say plainly that this agenda was — and is — a violation of our religious freedom,” said Rev. Tim Schaefer, Pastor of First Baptist Church of Madison & co-chair of the Wisconsin Coalition for Religious Freedom. “When the state claims the authority to decide whose bodies are controlled, whose beliefs count, and whose conscience matters, none of us are free. Today it is abortion, tomorrow it is contraception, then marriage, gender identity, worship, speech, and dissent. On this anniversary of Roe, we remember what was lost, but more importantly, we recommit ourselves to what must be protected and reclaimed. Forward, not backward. In faith. In freedom. In justice for all.”

“If Roe was the law when I needed an abortion, I would not have been forced to travel abroad to seek care. In 1970, my birth control failed and I became pregnant. Six weeks later, I traveled alone to Mexico City for an abortion. Fast forward to today, I’m happy that I was able to get the care I needed and make this very personal decision for myself,” said Patricia McFarland, patient storyteller who received an abortion before Roe v. Wade. “Roe gave women protections that I wish I had as a teen. I am devastated that the rights guaranteed under Roe have been stripped away for those who need it the most today. As I reflect on what would have been 53 years since the Roe decision, I know for certain that women will suffer so long as politicians interfere in our ability to make our own private medical decisions.”

“If I have learned anything from this roller coaster, both the past year or in Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin's past 91 years, we are not ones to back away from a fight. Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin stands firmly with the people of Wisconsin and their continued need to access affordable, non-judgmental, compassionate reproductive healthcare,” said Sydney O'Hare, Public Relations Madison Organizer for Planned Parenthood Wisconsin. “This moment is built by people who love their communities enough to stand up for them. And together, we are powerful enough to protect our freedoms to make decisions about our own lives and our own futures.” 

If you are interested in speaking with any of the participants in the press event, please contact malachi@freeandjust.us.  

Free & Just is committed to fighting for reproductive freedom. Join us in sharing stories, raising voices, and securing our future. 

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Free & Just is fighting to stop attacks on reproductive freedom and rights. We’re working with people across the country to share real stories to show the devastating consequences of attacks on our reproductive freedom. We all deserve the right to control our bodies and lives. That’s why we’re sharing our stories, raising our voices, and fighting for our future.

On the Would-be 53rd Anniversary of Roe, Republicans & Anti-Abortion Extremists Continue to Push for a National Abortion Ban

The deadly Dobbs decision was just the start — anti-abortion extremists are working overtime to ban abortion nationwide

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Free & Just is marking the would-be 53rd anniversary of the landmark Roe v. Wade, which protected the legal right to abortion care across the country. In 2022, the Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision overturned these protections, putting millions of women's lives at risk. The anniversary comes one week after ProPublica reported on the preventable death of Ciji Graham, a mother from North Carolina who died waiting for care while pregnant. Graham’s death is the seventh in the U.S. attributed to abortion bans in recent years.

Threats to abortion care are at an all time high, and the Trump administration is using every lever at their disposal to ban abortion nationwide — no matter how many lives are lost. From weaponizing federal agencies to roll back access to medication abortion, which could leave as many as 64.5 million people across the country without access to care, to sneaking new national abortion restrictions into critical health care legislation – even as costs skyrocket, and undermining federal protections for lifesaving care, the consequences of attacks on reproductive freedom are deadly. 

Veronica Ingham, Managing Director of Free & Just, released the following statement commemorating the anniversary of Roe v. Wade:

“For generations, Roe v. Wade gave patients legal protection to make decisions about their bodies and their futures. Today, instead of building on these fundamental protections, we are mourning the lives lost to abortion bans after the deadly Dobbs decision. Roe was never enough – especially for people already marginalized by racism, poverty, and geography – but it provided an important legal foundation that made further progress possible. Now, we remain committed to expanding reproductive freedom, and will continue to tell the stories of people affected by the Trump administration’s efforts to roll back our rights.”

BACKGROUND

Since the deadly Dobbs decision, states across the country have enacted trigger bans that criminalize receiving or providing abortion care and it has never been more dangerous for patients to be pregnant in America. The devastating consequences of Roe being overturned can be felt to this day as women are dying in states across the country and attacks on abortion care persist nationwide at the local and federal levels. 

• Under pressure from extremist lawmakers, FDA Commissioner Marty Makary opened an “investigation” into mifepristone in 2025: While the FDA is allegedly “slow-walking” the review, the reality is that new restrictions on mifepristone may be on the horizon, jeopardizing care for 64.5 million people across the country.

• In late 2025, as Congressional Republicans scrambled to address the health care crisis they created, some lawmakers embraced radical groups like Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America seeking to impose new restrictions on abortion care: Radical lawmakers like Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) are so emboldened right now, that they are launching new anti-abortion groups designed to oppose abortion ballot initiatives in states across the country. Extremists will continue to exploit our country’s health care crisis and seek opportunities to impose sweeping new abortion restrictions no matter the cost.

• Legal challenges to medication abortion also persist: Anti-abortion extremists in Texas and Florida filed a new lawsuit in December 2025 challenging the FDA’s original approval of mifepristone and the subsequent changes that have been made to make the safe and effective medicine more accessible. The new lawsuit mirrors a prior Supreme Court mifepristone case that was dismissed on standing but could return to SCOTUS through this case.

• Roughly half of Trump’s judicial nominees this term have revealed anti-abortion views, been associated with anti-abortion groups or defended abortion restrictions, with at least eight having argued in favor of abortion restrictions or against expanded abortion access: This past summer’s confirmations of anti-abortion extremists including Joshua Divine and Whitney Hermandorfer to critical judgeships are just the tip of the iceberg. It remains to be seen how these dangerous judges will continue to chip away at reproductive freedom and bodily autonomy nationwide. 

Bottomline: Since the deadly Dobbs decision overturned Roe v. Wade, Trump and his allies are using every lever at their disposal to dismantle any fragment of reproductive freedom left in this country until abortion is banned nationwide. 

If you are interested in connecting with patients, providers, or advocates about attacks on lifesaving emergency care at the local and federal level, please contact Kelly Rimar (kelly@freeandjust.us).      

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