What Abortion Sanctuaries Can Learn from the Immigrants’ Rights Movement

Insightful analysis on lessons learned from immigration federalism fand the sanctuaries movement on the current battle over abortion regulation. Key insights: “one dimension of sanctuary efforts was refusal to cooperate in enforcement of unjust laws… another was material support.” Informal networks of people housing people, making calls to secure legal assistance, and accompanying them to legal proceedings, even in the face of threats for aiding and abetting. Ultimately, the article points out the ways that the local can be a powerful driver for change, providing the kinds of practical support and cultural change that shifts the political battlefield.

The full article by Julie Dahlstrom and Katie Watson appears here in The Hill. Additional writing on sanctuaries in immigration is plentiful, including Sanctuary Networks, one of my favorites by Rose Cuison-Villazor and Pratheepan Gulasekaram.

MHC