How #standwithpp is an #immigration issue

I’m really sad and frustrated right now. I don’t see enough immigrant activists and immigration groups publicly standing with planned parenthood as they’re attacked left and right.

Access to reproductive health services is an immigration issue as well.

Undocumented immigrants lack access to health care and oftentimes are also low income. Planned parenthood clinics are one of the few places immigrants are welcomed and treated.

Can’t they just go to another clinic?

No because in some states planned parenthood clinics are the only ones that offered reproductive health services. Undocumented immigrants sometimes don’t have access to transportation, licenses, and safe neighborhoods free of immigration agents to travel elsewhere.

We should focus on having more clinics, not defund and close those that are open.

Planned parenthood provides life saving services like sti/std treatment and reproductive health check ups and provide contraceptives. Things undocumented immigrants need without shame or stigma.

Our immigrant community faces violence and dehumanization. Accessing reproductive health care is already hard enough when you lack a social. Defunding the clinics that provide such valuable care is violence.

Many immigrants come from countries where their bodies were controlled and abused. Some of us come from countries where people dying from clandestine abortions is a common occurrence. Some of us come from countries where we knew of someone who had to leave to seek reproductive health care elsewhere. By making abortions more inaccessible (because they are inaccessible to many already) we play games with people’s lives.

Because immigrants are raped on their journey to another country. Because immigrants get contraceptives before they migrate because they know they’ll be raped.

This is a reproductive justice issue.

Immigrant activists need to show up for reproductive health care providers and groups. Because undocumented immigrants and all immigrants need these services and shouldn’t be shamed for it. Because our communities deserve to be healthy and happy.

Because part of seeking a better life is also being autonomous people. This includes having access to information and all resources to make decisions about our families and our health.

These decisions range from migrating to another country to going to a reproductive health clinic.

Reproductive health care is an immigration issue.