We will stand with all Janes until they have moral agency over their lives.

Washington, DC -Today the U.S. Supreme Court tossed out a lower court ruling that allowed a young migrant detained by officials in Texas to seek an abortion, declaring it moot since the young woman already had an abortion. Catholics for Choice director of communications Cynthia Romero issued the following statement:

“While Jane Doe’s case may be moot, she is not alone in her ordeal—before Jane there was ‘Rosa’ who was denied housing by a Catholic-affiliated shelter because she sought an abortion after being raped on her journey to the United States. Religious archconservatives in President Trump’s Department of Health and Human Services have routinely interfered with other ‘Janes’ who seek emergency contraception or abortions.

America has always been a beacon of freedom for immigrants—and ironically while the Catholic bishops claim to be advocates of those who cross our borders in search of a better life, they will stand against a young migrant woman when she seeks to make an unequivocal, ethical choice over her body.

As Catholics committed to social justice, we must question the morality of denying the most vulnerable women the freedom to make their own conscience-driven decisions over their bodies. We must ask—is it right to impose our morality on others because they are held captive?

We will stand with all Janes until they have moral agency over their lives.”

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