By Radwan Farraj
In a historic move, the Supreme Court repealed Roe v. Wade and its constitutional protections of a woman’s right to an abortion on June 27. Nearly fifty years after its passing, the repeal of Roe leaves state legislatures responsible for the legality of abortion within their state.
The decision comes after a leaked draft of Justice Samuel Alito’s majority opinion made its way to Politico on May 2, sparking outrage and protests throughout the country. In a statement published a day after the leak, Chief Justice John Roberts described the leak as a “betrayal” and “egregious breach of that trust that is an affront to the Court and the community of public servants who work here.”
Following the repeal, CUNY Chancellor Félix Matos Rodríguez issued a statement.
“In effectively denying access to safe and legal abortions what will likely be more than half the states, the ruling is likely to lead thousands of women to seek the kind of dangerous back-alley abortions that routinely killed women prior the 1973 Roe decision,” the statement read.
Chancellor Rodríguez went on to add that the major concern of this decision is its effect on disadvantaged and low-income women. “We must resolve to join forces in collaboration and begin the work of mitigating the damages. This work is aligned with CUNY’s unwavering commitment to social justice,” he stated.
Since the decision, many states have already seen bans go into effect, with as many as thirteen states initiating bans that would go into effect as soon as 30 days after the ruling, according to The Washington Post.
Some states like New York have expanded protections since the repeal, with measures meant to better protect the identities of those seeking reproductive care and providing access to those from out of state who are not already New York residents.