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发帖数: 897 | 1 Following weeks of court battles, an undocumented 17-year-old, known in
court filings as Jane Doe, was finally allowed to get an abortion on
Wednesday.
The Trump administration was trying to prevent her from choosing to get the
procedure, but an appeals court ruled on Tuesday that Doe was
constitutionally granted the right.
"I'm a 17-year-old girl that came to this country to make a better life for
myself. My journey wasn't easy, but I came here with hope in my heart to
build a life I can be proud of," she said in a statement Wednesday. "This is
my life, my decision. I want a better future. I want justice."
In September, Doe was detained at a center for children after she entered
the US illegally from Central America. The country of her origin and her
real name haven't been released in order to protect her privacy because she
is a minor.
At the detention center, she learned that she was pregnant, and decided she
wanted to have an abortion. Because she is under 18, and her parents aren't
in the US, she had to have a Texas court rule that she could have the
procedure since state law prohibits minors from making that decision without
parental consent. That judge ruled that she could have the abortion.
Then, the Trump administration made Doe see a doctor who tried to convince
her not to get an abortion and showed her an ultrasound of the fetus,
another requirement under Texas law. The government would not let Doe leave
the detention center to get an abortion, which her attorneys labeled as "
holding her hostage."
The detention center even had Doe call her physically abusive mother in her
home country to tell her that she was pregnant, one of her lawyers told The
New York Times.
A lengthy court battle
The American Civil Liberties Union stepped in to sue the government on Doe's
behalf so that she could get the procedure.
A federal judge in ruled on October 18 that Doe had the right to access
abortion services and should be taken to her appointments "promptly and
without delay."
But on October 20, a three-judge panel for the US District Court of Appeals
in DC issued an order ruling that Doe was not immediately allowed to have
the abortion, and that the federal government had until October 31 to find a
sponsor to take her to get the procedure.
Texas law bans abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy except in cases of rape
, incest, or if the mother's life is endangered. At this point, Doe was 15
weeks pregnant — time was running out.
On Tuesday, the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit ruled in a 6-3
decision without oral argument that Doe was allowed to get her abortion
immediately.
"Today's decision rights a grave constitutional wrong by the government,"
Judge Patricia Millett wrote in a concurring opinion. "Remember, we are
talking about a child here. A child who is alone in a foreign land. A child
who, after her arrival here in a search for safety and after the government
took her into custody, learned that she is pregnant."
Early Wednesday morning, Doe had her abortion, the ACLU announced.
Throughout the court proceedings, the Trump administration argued that Doe
should not be allowed to have the abortion, because it was an "undue burden"
for the government, and that officials were not blocking her from getting
one because she could return to her home country anytime. But abortion is
illegal in her country.
Scott Lloyd, director of the US Department of Health and Human Services
Office of Refugee Resettlement, sent an email in March directing government
detention not to let minors access abortion services, but instead take them
to "life-affirming options counseling" or pregnancy care, according to The
Washington Post.
"Make no mistake, the Trump administration's efforts to interfere in women's
decisions won't stop with Jane Doe," the ACLU said in a tweet on Wednesday.
"We will not stop fighting until every woman has access to abortion care."
Below is Jane Doe's full statement, released after she had the abortion:
My name is not Jane Doe, but I am a Jane Doe.
I'm a 17-year-old girl that came to this country to make a better life for
myself. My journey wasn't easy, but I came here with hope in my heart to
build a life I can be proud of. I dream about studying, becoming a nurse,
and one day working with the elderly.
When I was detained, I was placed in a shelter for children. It was there
that I was told I was pregnant. I knew immediately what was best for me then
, as I do now – that I'm not ready to be a parent. Thanks to my lawyers,
Rochelle Garza and Christine Cortez, and with the help of Jane's Due Process
, I went before a judge and was given permission to end my pregnancy without
my parents' consent. I was nervous about appearing in court, but I was
treated very kindly. I am grateful that the judge agreed with my decision
and granted the bypass.
While the government provides for most of my needs at the shelter, they have
not allowed me to leave to get an abortion. Instead, they made me see a
doctor that tried to convince me not to abort and to look at sonograms.
People I don't even know are trying to make me change my mind. I made my
decision and that is between me and God. Through all of this, I have never
changed my mind.
No one should be shamed for making the right decision for themselves. I
would not tell any other girl in my situation what they should do. That
decision is hers and hers alone.
I've been waiting for more than a month since I made my decision. It has
been very difficult to wait in the shelter for news that the judges in
Washington, D.C. have given me permission to proceed with my decision. I am
grateful for this, and I ask that the government accept it. Please stop
delaying my decision any longer.
My lawyers have told me that people around the country have been calling and
writing to show support for me. I am touched by this show of love from
people I may never know and from a country I am just beginning to know – to
all of you, thank you.
This is my life, my decision. I want a better future. I want justice. | f**********n
发帖数: 29853 | 2 享受待遇的时候就说自己未成年，要流产的时候就说this is my life.... |
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