Abortion-rights advocate Eleanor Wells, 34, wipes her tears during a protest in Los Angeles, Friday, June 24, 2022. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

The Supreme Court on Friday struck down the national right to abortion, officially making Illinois one of just two Midwestern states that protect the right.

In deciding Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the court ruled 6-3 in favor of the a Mississippi law that bans all abortions after 15 weeks of gestation. This decision effectively repeals 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, erases fifty years of abortion being a protected constitutional right and hands the power of deciding the legality of abortions to the respective state governments.

Many states have trigger laws that have already gone into effect, meaning that abortion became illegal the moment the Dobbs decision was released. Some of these states include Missouri, Kentucky, North Dakota, and Texas. Other states like Iowa, Wisconsin, and Indiana are expected to severely restrict or outright ban abortions all-together. 

This means Illinois and Minnesota will likely become even more of a hub for women seeking abortions. Dr. Amy Whitaker, the chief medical officer of Planned Parenthood of Illinois, said there is expected to be as much as a 20 times increase of out of state patients seeking abortions in Illinois. As many as 200 abortion providers nationwide will likely be shut down.

“It’s just outrageous and devastating to think that patients having to travel so far and leave home and cross state borders when already in such a vulnerable position to receive essential healthcare,” said Dr. Whitaker. 

Dr. Whitaker went on to point out the dilemma women who are already marginalized will be facing to receive safe and affordable reproductive care. 

“This includes people who live in rural areas, young people, low-income people, Black, Latinx, indigenous folks, immigrants, people who don’t have resources are going to be faced with an unimaginable choice. This wasn’t a surprise to those of us who work in abortion care. We’ve been preparing for this moment for years, not months.”

Dr. Whitaker said a lot of time is spent trying to strategically utilize resources as Illinois abortion providers are expecting to see a two to five-time increase in abortion services. Just in the last few years, Planned Parenthood Illinois has opened health centers near the Wisconsin and Indiana borders and expanded access to medication abortion at all 17 Illinois locations.

As long as a pro-abortion legislature and governor are in power in Illinois, the state will continue its efforts to out reproductive rights into law. Gov. J.B. Pritzker has called a special session to further maintain that Illinois will be a state that protects the reproductive rights of women.

Some of the ideas for more action include increased funding for abortion providers, with specific coverage for out-of-state patients, and for nurse practitioners the ability to provide procedural abortions. Under his tenure, Pritzker has already signed the Reproductive Health Act, which made abortion a fundamental right for women in the state of Illinois.

The Dobbs decision comes from a majority Republican court and falls in line with recent efforts by the GOP to restrict the reproductive rights of women on multiple fronts. Abortion advocates say overturning Roe is not going to stop abortions from happening but will only force thousands of women to travel in order to obtain them, which is not an affordable option for many. This will be a problem for middle-class people and could lead to more “unsafe abortions,” which is a significantly more dangerous procedure. 

The majority of Americans do not agree with overturning Roe, as a 2019 survey by Pew Research Center suggests that just 28% of the country would be in agreement with the absolutist Dobbs decision.