By Bud Shaver,
MULESHOE, TEXAS — The City of Muleshoe, Texas, officially voted 4–1 to adopt a Sanctuary City for the Unborn ordinance Monday evening, May 11, 2026, becoming the 97th city nationwide and the 80th city in Texas to pass an ordinance outlawing abortion and declaring their community a Sanctuary City for the Unborn.
The ordinance was adopted following a successful citizen initiative petition effort led by local residents and supported by the Sanctuary Cities for the Unborn initiative founded by Mark Lee Dickson.
The ordinance prohibits:
- Performing elective abortions and aiding or abetting elective abortions within Muleshoe city limits
- Elective abortions on residents of Muleshoe, regardless of where the abortion occurs
- Abortion trafficking through the City of Muleshoe
- Mailing abortion-inducing drugs into Muleshoe
- Criminal organizations from operating within city limits
- Transportation or disposal of the remains of aborted unborn children across state lines into Texas
Tara Shaver of Abortion Free New Mexico traveled to Muleshoe to testify before the city council regarding New Mexico’s growing role as a regional abortion destination following the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
Shaver’s testimony highlighted the alarming number of Texas women traveling to Albuquerque abortion facilities, where some clinics have reportedly acknowledged that between 85% and 95% of abortion clients are Texas residents.
Abortion Free New Mexico currently maintains a billboard in Muleshoe warning about New Mexico’s expanding abortion industry and encouraging Texas women to seek support and alternatives to abortion rather than traveling across state lines into New Mexico for abortions. The billboard also reminds residents that Texas laws exist to protect both mothers and unborn children. The campaign is part of a broader effort to raise awareness about New Mexico’s growing role as a regional abortion destination following the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
“The billboard we fully funded and placed in Muleshoe was strategically located near the New Mexico-Texas border because that corridor has become a major pathway for women traveling into New Mexico for abortions,” said Tara Shaver of Abortion Free New Mexico. “Our goal was to reach Texas mothers before crossing state lines and remind them that Texas laws are intended to protect both women and their unborn children. New Mexico has become an abortion destination with very limited oversight, no parental notification protections for minors, and decreasing public accountability. Communities like Muleshoe are sending a message that women deserve support, protection, and real alternatives that uphold the dignity and safety of both mother and child.”
During her testimony, Shaver also warned city leaders about the dangers posed to vulnerable minors transported across state lines into New Mexico for abortions, emphasizing that abortion can conceal abuse rather than stop it.
“In some situations, the very person transporting a minor for an abortion may also be the person exploiting her,” Shaver said during testimony. “Abortion does not remove that abuse — it can instead cover it up and return vulnerable girls back into the same dangerous situations.”
The Muleshoe vote represents the latest pushback against what pro-life advocates describe as an expanding abortion pipeline into New Mexico, where abortion facilities operate under some of the least restrictive abortion laws in the nation.
Mark Lee Dickson, founder of Sanctuary Cities for the Unborn, praised the citizens of Muleshoe for their leadership and perseverance throughout the petition process.
“Way to go, Muleshoe,” said Dickson. “This vote would not have been possible without the residents who gathered signatures and stood for the protection of pregnant mothers and unborn children. Muleshoe has now joined dozens of Texas communities taking a stand against abortion trafficking and the exploitation of vulnerable women and children.”
According to Dickson,
“Since August 2023, 48 political subdivisions have passed ordinances substantially identical to the Muleshoe ordinance. The Muleshoe ordinance marks the 13th Sanctuary City for the Unborn ordinance adopted in 2026 alone.”
Abortion Free New Mexico says the ordinance also represents a positive step toward reducing the number of women traveling into New Mexico for abortions while raising awareness about the lack of abortion oversight and accountability in the state.
“Every mother who chooses life instead of traveling to New Mexico for an abortion is a victory for both mother and child,” Shaver added. “This movement is growing because people are realizing abortion trafficking is not compassion — real compassion protects women, minors, families, and unborn children together.”
Abortion Free New Mexico says the Muleshoe ordinance reflects a growing national response to the increasing flow of women and minors traveling across state lines for abortions following the overturning of Roe v. Wade. The organization says communities are increasingly recognizing that protecting women and children requires both legal safeguards and public accountability — especially as New Mexico continues positioning itself as a regional abortion destination with some of the least restrictive abortion laws in the nation.
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