For the past two weeks, the American Civil Liberties Union, the state of Texas, and the Trump administration have been battling in court over the reproductive rights of “Jane Doe.” A 17-year-old undocumented immigrant teen whose name and country of origin have not been publicized for legal reasons, the pregnant detainee sought an abortion while in custody but was refused her request due to her status as a minor. Since then, numerous federal judges and appeals courts have ruled for and against Doe, but Wednesday morning she was finally granted permission to get an abortion.
According to the Austin American-Statesman, Doe’s lawyers announced she “was released from federal custody under a court order and had the procedure Wednesday morning.” In an official statement from the ACLU, attorney Brigitte Amiri added, “Justice prevailed today for Jane Doe. But make no mistake about it, the Administration’s efforts to interfere in women’s decisions won’t stop with Jane.” That said, she concluded, “We will not stop fighting until we have justice for every woman like Jane.”
As her month-long ordeal finally ends with #JusticeforJane, hear from Jane herself: https://t.co/HIhw5lIDud pic.twitter.com/wO2bWhW5DS
— ACLU (@ACLU) October 25, 2017
Via her guardian, Doe released a lengthy statement reflecting on the ordeal through the ACLU. “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,” she said. “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.” In conclusion, the young woman wrote, “This is my life, my decision. I want a better future. I want justice.”
(Via Austin American-Statesman and ACLU)