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City agencies barred from investigating those who come to Chicago seeking abortions

By FOX 32 Digital Staff
Published  July 28, 2022 10:42am CDT
Chicago
FOX 32 Chicago

City agencies prohibited from investigating those who come to Chicago seeking abortions

Mayor Lori Lightfoot signed an executive order preventing city agencies from investigating or assisting other state's investigations of those who come to Chicago to have an abortion or to seek reproductive access.

CHICAGO - Mayor Lori Lightfoot signed an executive order Thursday preventing city agencies, including Chicago police, from investigating or assisting other state's investigations of those who come to Chicago to have an abortion or to seek reproductive access.

The order falls in line with Lightfoot's "Justice for All Pledge," which says Chicago will remain a safe haven for many rights, including the right to abortions after the Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v. Wade.

The executive order prohibits any city agency from assisting any other states that "seeks to impose civil or criminal liability or professional sanctions against a person or entity for providing legal reproductive healthcare in the State of Illinois and/or aiding any person seeking legal reproductive healthcare in Illinois."

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"Despite what is happening in states around Illinois, abortion is still safe and legal in our state and in Chicago. Everyone in Illinois, whether they are a resident or not, has a fundamental right to the full range of reproductive health care, including abortion," said Tonya Tucker, chief financial officer of Planned Parenthood of Illinois. 

Illinois could become safe haven for neighboring Midwesterners seeking abortions

Lee Hasselbacher, interim director of the Center for Interdisciplinary Inquiry & Innovation in Sexual and Reproductive Health, talks about the implications of crossing state lines for abortion access.

In May, Lightfoot announced the city's Department of Public Health was investing $500,000 to pay for abortion services in Chicago for both residents and non-residents of the state.

"Through this Executive Order, I am taking yet another step to help to safeguard all those who come to our city for reproductive healthcare," Lightfoot said in a staetment. "I am proud of the continued collaboration between Planned Parenthood, the Chicago Department of Public Health, members of City Council and other City departments, who are working tirelessly to ensure that everyone in Chicago is able to receive the care they need and maintain control over their bodies."