Conservative activists advocate for ‘trafficking’ legislation, aiming to restrict women’s access to abortion by limiting their ability to travel

Anti-abortion activists are strategically shifting their focus to highways as a new battleground in their mission to impede access to abortions.

A small town in central Texas recently made headlines by attempting to pass a law that would make it illegal for individuals to use certain roads within their jurisdiction for the purpose of seeking an abortion. This innovative approach could potentially shape the future of anti-abortion activism, as reported by The Washington Post.

These so-called “trafficking” laws are gaining traction in Texas and mirror previous efforts to restrict travel for abortion care in other places.

In late August, Llano, Texas explored the possibility of enacting such a measure aimed at preventing individuals traveling from Austin and Round Rock from utilizing their highways to access states where abortions are still legal, like New Mexico.

Mark Lee Dickson, the anti-abortion activist spearheading this initiative, emphasized its significance, proclaiming, “This truly builds a barrier to impede abortion trafficking,” in an interview with the Post.

These local ordinances rely on private citizens to file lawsuits against those who seek abortion care, mirroring controversial mechanisms observed in a statewide ban on abortion care assistance enacted in 2021.

A state judge declared the private citizen enforcement mechanism of the statewide abortion ban unconstitutional in late 2021. However, no injunction was issued to halt the law’s implementation.

Llano Mayor Marion Bishop subsequently conceded in an interview with the Post that enforcing the law would likely be challenging and that its symbolic value outweighs its practical necessity.

“Is it absolutely necessary? No,” Bishop acknowledged. “Does it make a statement? Yes, it does.”

According to The Washington Post, other municipalities in Texas, including Odessa and Lubbock, are also considering similar measures.

After the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade last year, Texas implemented new restrictions, effectively rendering abortion nearly inaccessible within the state.

Furthermore, other states have made attempts to restrict individuals from traveling out of state to seek abortion care. Recently, the Alabama attorney general defended his assertion that individuals who facilitate others in obtaining abortion care can be prosecuted under state law.