Planned Parenthood Celebrates Immigrant Heritage Month by Fighting to Protect Immigrants’ Rights & Access to Health Care
For Immediate Release: June 15, 2018 (Updated: June 15, 2018, noon)
New York, NY — This Immigrant Heritage Month, Planned Parenthood will celebrate immigrants in the United States by fighting to protect their rights and access to health care.
The Trump-Pence administration has engaged in a relentless attempt to separate families as part of its draconian immigration enforcement efforts. More and more immigrants are being forced into the shadows with the decision to rescind DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) and end TPS (temporary protected status) for several countries, which will rip millions of families apart, physically separating children away from their parents at the US-Mexico border, rolling back parental rights for parents involved in immigration proceedings, and increased enforcement of detention and deportation.
Since day one, the Trump-Pence administration has also pushed policy after policy to take away access to affordable reproductive health care. Paired with its continued attacks against immigrants and providers like Planned Parenthood — which many immigrants have come to rely on for care — accessing health care has become nearly impossible for undocumented people, especially undocumented women, and that hurts the health and well-being of countless American communities.
Statement from Dawn Laguens, Executive Vice President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America:
As one of the nation’s leading health care providers, we at Planned Parenthood are proud to see patients regardless of their immigration status. We see firsthand how harsh immigration enforcement can stand in the way of families accessing health care in this country. These attacks on immigrant rights contribute to the already very real fear of deportation among immigrant communities and continue to drive more and more people into the shadows, making it harder to work, access health care, and live a full life.
“With the administration focused on stripping both women and immigrants of their rights, it is no surprise that immigrant women are caught in the crosshairs. Whether it’s through chipping away at affordable access to care through the gag rule, which threatens access to preventive care at Planned Parenthood, or unconstitutional policies blocking unaccompanied minors from obtaining abortions, to now blocking entry to our country for those fleeing domestic and sexual violence, the Trump-Pence administration continues to demonstrate a reprehensible disregard for immigrant women’s bodies and lives.
“Planned Parenthood will not silently stand by as Dreamers, DACA recipients, and immigrants, many of whom are part of the Planned Parenthood community and rely on Planned Parenthood for health care, are ripped apart from their families and stripped of their rights and protections.
The Trump-Pence administration has launched one of its worst attacks yet on access to reproductive health care by introducing a gag rule that would gut Title X, the nation’s program for affordable birth control and reproductive health care. Title X exists to help ensure that every person — regardless of where they live, how much money they make, what their background is, or whether or not they have health insurance — has access to basic, preventive reproductive health care, such as birth control and cancer screenings. Targeting preventive health care services at Planned Parenthood through the gag rule disproportionately affects people with low incomes and people living in medically underserved areas, including undocumented immigrants.
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Planned Parenthood is the nation’s leading provider and advocate of high-quality, affordable health care for women, men, and young people, as well as the nation’s largest provider of sex education. With more than 600 health centers across the country, Planned Parenthood organizations serve all patients with care and compassion, with respect and without judgment. Through health centers, programs in schools and communities, and online resources, Planned Parenthood is a trusted source of reliable health information that allows people to make informed health decisions. We do all this because we care passionately about helping people lead healthier lives.