President Joe Biden predicted on Friday that some US states will try to arrest women for crossing state lines to get abortions after the Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to the procedure nationwide.
Thirteen Republican-led states banned or severely restricted the procedure under so-called trigger laws after the court struck down the 1973 Roe v Wade ruling last week. Women in those states seeking an abortion may have to travel to states where it remains legal.
Convening a virtual meeting on abortion rights with Democratic state governors on Friday, Mr Biden said he thinks “people are going to be shocked when the first state … tries to arrest a woman for crossing a state line to get health services”.
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Anti-abortion activist Coleman Boyd speaks with a clinic escort. Willy Lowry / The National -
Security guard Keswick Farrar stands guard outside of the Jackson Women's Health Organisation, the last abortion clinic in Mississippi. Willy Lowry / The National -
A clinic escort looks down the street at anti-abortion protesters outside of the Jackson Women's Health Organisation. Willy Lowry / The National -
Coleman Boyd, an ER physician, protests against abortion outside of the Jackson Women's Health Organisation. Willy Lowry / The National -
Anti-abortion Doug Hiser prays in front of the Jackson Women's Health Organisation. Willy Lowry / The National -
Anti-abortion activist Allan Siders protests outside of the Jackson Women's Health Organisation. Willy Lowry / The National -
A clinic escort stands outside the Jackson Women's Health Organisation, known as the Pink House. Willy Lowry / The National -
A clinic escort holds a sign reminding women that 'abortion remains legal in Mississippi'. Willy Lowry / The National -
Jean Comley is an 83-year-old clinic escort. Willy Lowry / The National -
three security guards stand outside of the Jackson Women's Health Orginisation. Willy Lowry / The National -
Coleman Boyd protests against abortions outside of the Jackson Women's Health Organisation. Willy Lowry / The National -
An anti-abortion protester yells at a security guard outside of the centre. Willy Lowry / The National -
Anti-abortion protester Coleman Boyd speaks with clinic escort Derenda Hancock. Willy Lowry / The National -
The Jackson Women's health organisation is the last abortion clinic in Mississippi. Photo: Derenda Hancock -
A sign outside the Jackson Women's Health Organisation reads: 'If men got pregnant, you could get an abortion at an ATM'. Willy Lowry / The National -
The Jackson Women's Health Organisation is also known as the Pink House. Willy Lowry / The National -
A clinic escort speaks with anti-abortion protesters. Willy Lowry / The National -
The Jackson Women's Health Organisation. Photo: Derenda Hancock -
A clinic escort stands outside the Jackson Women's Health Organisation. Willy Lowry / The National -
A pro-choice sign rests on a chair outside of the Jackson Women's Health Organisation. Willy Lowry / The National
He added: “And I don't think people believe that's going to happen. But it's going to happen and it's going to telegraph to the whole country that this is a gigantic deal that goes beyond; I mean, it affects all your basic rights”.
Mr Biden said the federal government will act to protect women who need to cross state lines to get an abortion and ensure their access to medication in states where it is banned.
New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham told the meeting her state “will not co-operate” on any attempts to track down women who have had abortions to punish them.
“We will not extradite,” she said.
Abortion rights groups have filed legislation in several states seeking to preserve the ability of women to terminate pregnancies.
Judges in Florida, Louisiana, Texas and Utah have since issued decisions preventing those states from enforcing new restrictive abortion laws, while Ohio's top court on Friday declined to block the Republican-led state from enforcing an abortion ban.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul told the group that “just a handful of states” are going to have to take care of health of women across the country.
“There is such stress out there,” Ms Hochul said. “It is a matter of life and death for American women.”
Mr Biden also told the group there were not enough votes in the Senate to scrap a supermajority rule known as the filibuster to codify Roe v Wade's protections.
He had proposed that senators remove the filibuster but the suggestion was shot down by aides to key Democrats.
“The filibuster should not stand in the way of us being able to [codify Roe],” Mr Biden said.
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Abortion rights activists gather outside the US Supreme Court in Washington on June 24, 2022. AP -
Pro-life demonstrators celebrate outside the Supreme Court in Washington. AP -
A pro-choice supporter cries outside the Supreme Court. AFP -
Pro-life campaigners celebrate outside the Supreme Court. AFP -
A demonstrator wears 'second class citizen' tape over her mouth outside the Supreme Court. Bloomberg -
An activist outside the Supreme Court. AP -
A woman reacts after hearing the abortion decision. AP -
Pro-life activists hug outside the Supreme Court. AFP -
A pro-life supporter reacts outside the Supreme Court. AFP -
Pro-life supporters hug outside the court. AFP -
The Supreme Court has ended constitutional protections for abortion that had been in place nearly 50 years. AP -
People celebrate outside the Supreme Court after the conservative majority overturned Roe v Wade. AP -
Pro-life supporters celebrate outside the court. AFP -
People celebrate outside the Supreme Court. AP -
Pro-choice demonstrators gather outside the Supreme Court. AFP
