Politics & Government
Whitmer Asks Feds To Clear Up Legality Of Michiganders Seeking Abortion Services In Canada
Despite the recent overturning of Roe v. Wade, abortion is still legal in Michigan — for now.
July 10, 2022
Facing conflicting guidance from the two federal agencies, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Thursday requested that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) clarify Michiganders’ rights to seek medication abortion in Canada.
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Despite the recent overturning of Roe v. Wade, abortion is still legal in Michigan — for now. A temporary court-ordered injunction is currently the only measure keeping the state’s 1931 abortion ban from springing back into effect.
In a Thursday letter to HHS and DHS, Whitmer urged the departments to “immediately issue guidance clarifying that no legal obstacle prevents Michiganders from seeking reproductive health care in Canada or from bringing prescription medication secured in Canada back to the United States.”
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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which is housed within HHS, currently deems it illegal (in most circumstances) to import drugs into the United States for personal use.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on the other hand, housed within DHS, states on its website that travelers can bring prescription medication across the border with a doctor’s prescription.
“I am calling on CBP and FDA to issue guidance that no legal obstacle prevents Michiganders from seeking reproductive health care in Canada or from bringing medications prescribed by a Canadian healthcare professional back into the country,” Whitmer wrote. “More generally, I encourage the federal government to pull out all the stops to ensure that Michiganders can access reproductive care in Canada if they choose to do so.”
According to a WDIV/Detroit poll from January, 67.3% of Michiganders support Roe and 65.7% support repealing Michigan’s 1931 trigger ban on abortion. Over 77% believe abortion should be a woman’s decision.
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