Chicago has declared abortion and trans-affirming procedures to be a “fundamental right” in city law.
The Chicago City Council has approved the “Bodily Autonomy” ordinance, which prevents its police force from assisting investigations against people who travelled to the city in the US state of Illinois from other states where such procedures are illegal.
The law replaces an executive order by Mayor Lori Lightfoot, which pushed the measures after the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade in June.
Cost
In an interview with Black Entertainment Television, Lightfoot claimed that Chicago would become “an oasis for justice for all”.
She explained that the city would give $500,000 to abortion providers towards the cost of mothers travelling to Chicago from other states.
In 2019, the US state of Illinois signed into law a Bill classifying abortion as a woman’s “fundamental right”.
‘Abortion destination’
Under Illinois’s Reproductive Health Act, abortion is legalised up to birth if the pregnancy affects the mother’s “health”. The baby has no “independent rights”.
At the time, former state politician Peter Breen warned that Illinois would become “an abortion destination for the country”.
Earlier this month, the US Government’s Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced its intention to provide abortions at its medical facilities across the country, even though it could contravene state and federal law.
The VA claimed that “irrespective of what laws or policies States may impose”, it plans to issue abortions for tens of thousands of veterans and their beneficiaries under its health care programmes.
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