Illinois Sees 29 Percent Jump In Abortions For Visiting Women

CHICAGO — Gov. J.B. Pritzker is vowing to keep Illinois a refuge for reproductive rights in a year in which the Supreme Court could gut or overturn Roe v. Wade, which could leave the legality of abortion up to individual states.

Yet even before such a ruling is considered, Illinois has seen a drastic increase in the number of women coming from out of state to have an abortion. According to data from the Illinois Department of Public Health, nearly 10,000 women came to Illinois for abortions in 2020 — an increase of about 29 percent from 2019, when 7,534 came to Illinois for the procedure.

In 2020, a total of 9,686 women came to the state for abortions, the data shows. That total represents 21 percent of the abortions performed in the state in 2020. The uptick in out-of-staters came a year after Pritzker signed the Reproductive Health Bill, making having an abortion a “fundamental right” for women in Illinois.

At the time, Pritzker said that too many states are taking a step backward when it comes to reproductive rights. The bill, the governor said, represented a “giant step forward” for women’s health and added, “in this state, we trust women.”

Pritzker doubled down on that idea in a Twitter post Saturday when he said on the 49th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, Illinois is committed to vigorously defending this “fundamental right.”

If abortion rights are to be determined at a state level, a large number of states — including all of those adjacent to Illinois, would likely make the procedure illegal, according to experts at the Guttmacher Institute. The map on the institute’s website shows only Illinois and Minnesota as states where abortion would remain legal in the Midwest.

Data from the health department shows that the number of women coming to Illinois for abortions from other states has risen every year since 2014.

In a recent tweet, Pritzker also highlighted a Granite City women’s clinic that is arranging for travel and lodging and also assists women with other resources such as abortion funding. Pritzker said the center is the first of its kind to offer such services and resources to women who are coming from states where reproductive rights have been limited by state laws.

“Together, we’re breaking down the silos anti-abortion politicians created and proving that in community, with innovation and determination, we can secure a future with abortion access,” Planned Parenthood of St. Louis President Yamelsie Rodríguez told the Pantagraph, the newspaper that serves the Metro East area outside of St. Louis.

Meanwhile, Pritzker — who faces a re-election bid later this year — said he is committed to keeping Illinois as a place open to protecting women’s rights.

“As governor, I will fight to make sure Illinois is a refuge for reproductive rights,” the governor tweeted, “today, tomorrow and always.”