Category: Press Releases

By Bud Shaver,

​Santa Fe, New Mexico—As Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham continues to emphasize medical malpractice reform as part of her administration’s legacy and calls for political “unity,” Abortion Free New Mexico (AFNM) is calling attention to a critical contradiction that remains unaddressed: abortion clinics in New Mexico continue to operate exempt from basic healthcare licensing, inspection, and enforcement standards, despite documented patient harm.

Recent reporting by The New Mexico Sun has highlighted the administration’s emphasis on malpractice reform as a policy priority. AFNM notes that this focus on liability reform stands in sharp contrast to state policies that shield abortion facilities from the routine oversight applied to hospitals, surgical centers, and physician practices throughout New Mexico.

AFNM’s source-documented report details more than a decade of abortion-related patient injuries, emergency medical transports, and at least one patient death occurring in facilities not licensed as healthcare providers. These documented incidents raise serious questions about patient safety, regulatory consistency, and the credibility of claims that abortion is being treated as healthcare under state law.

AFNM emphasized that its call for accountability concerns regulatory standards and patient safety — not the legality of abortion. The organization is calling for the consistent application of healthcare licensing, inspection, and enforcement requirements that apply to other medical facilities in New Mexico.

Unlike hospitals, surgical centers, and physician practices, abortion clinics in New Mexico are not subject to routine facility inspections, licensing requirements, or transparent enforcement mechanisms — even as the state positions itself as a destination for abortion services.

(Graphic illustrating the exemption of abortion clinics from routine healthcare licensing and inspection requirements in New Mexico.)

“Since abortion is repeatedly described as ‘healthcare,’ it must be subject to healthcare standards,” said Tara Shaver, spokeswoman for Abortion Free New Mexico.
​
“Healthcare requires standards, inspections, and accountability — and it does not maim or kill. Abortion fulfills none of those requirements in New Mexico, yet it is repeatedly labeled ‘healthcare’ while being exempt from the rules that govern real medicine.”

​Shaver added that calls for political unity cannot be used to obscure documented regulatory failures.

“Calls for unity ring hollow when they are used to protect a political legacy while documented harm goes unaddressed,” she said.
​
“The public record shows that exempting abortion clinics from basic healthcare standards has resulted in patient injuries and a death. Accountability cannot be set aside for political convenience.”

AFNM emphasized that the issue is not theoretical, partisan, or speculative. As New Mexico increasingly positions itself as a regional destination for abortion services, patient volume has increased without corresponding oversight or enforcement — deepening the regulatory gap.

AFNM also noted that bipartisan silence on the issue has allowed the contradiction to persist.

“Lawmakers are not powerless here,” Shaver added.
​
“When Republicans and Democrats alike avoid confronting this exemption, they help entrench a double standard that no patient would tolerate in any other area of medicine. Silence does not equal unity—it entrenches regulatory failure.”

​AFNM stressed that malpractice reform, if pursued without addressing oversight exemptions, risks insulating systems from accountability rather than improving patient safety. The organization argues that meaningful reform must include consistent standards across all areas of healthcare, especially where documented harm has occurred.Abortion Free New Mexico is calling on the Governor and the New Mexico Legislature to publicly explain:

• Why abortion clinics remain exempt from healthcare licensing and routine inspections
• How abortion-related patient injuries and deaths are investigated
• What accountability mechanisms exist when patient harm occurs

“Exemptions are not unity. Silence is not reform,” Shaver said.

📄 Read AFNM’s source-documented report:
​GOVERNOR TIES LEGACY TO MALPRACTICE REFORM WHILE STATE SHIELDS ABORTION CLINICS FROM ACCOUNTABILITY

📰 Related media coverage:
The New Mexico Sun — 

Governor’s malpractice reform goals clash with state policies on abortion clinic oversight

​📘 Additional public-record information on abortion risks!

By Bud Shaver,

​Albuquerque, N.M. — On the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, as elected officials and advocacy groups mark the decision by reaffirming abortion as “healthcare,” Abortion Free New Mexico (AFNM) is demanding that Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham and New Mexico’s federal congressional delegation publicly address — on the record — serious and unresolved concerns regarding abortion facility oversight, documented patient injuries, and the absence of accountability in New Mexico.

The anniversary of Roe is routinely used to celebrate abortion access. AFNM states it must also be used to confront the current reality in New Mexico: abortion facilities operating without routine inspections, facility-level enforcement, or public accountability, despite documented injuries and emergency medical transports.

 “If abortion is being labeled ‘healthcare,’ then it must meet healthcare standards,” said Tara Shaver, spokeswoman for Abortion Free New Mexico.  

​“Healthcare requires standards, inspections, and accountability — and it does not maim or kill. Abortion fulfills none of those requirements in New Mexico, yet it is repeatedly labeled ‘healthcare’ while being exempt from the rules that govern real medicine.”

Roe Anniversary, Real-World Consequences​

Public records documented by Abortion Free New Mexico show abortion-related injuries, emergency medical transports, and a significant increase in out-of-state abortion travel into New Mexico. At the same time, abortion facilities remain exempt from routine inspection, enforcement, and public reporting requirements that apply to other medical providers under state law.​

Despite these facts, state and federal officials have not publicly addressed who is responsible for oversight, how patient harm is investigated, or what enforcement mechanisms exist.

Demand for Public Statements — Not Messaging

Abortion Free New Mexico is calling on the Governor and New Mexico’s federal delegation to publicly address — in clear, substantive statements — the following public-health and accountability questions:

• Which agencies hold routine inspection and enforcement authority over abortion facilities in New Mexico
• How patient injuries and medical emergencies are identified, investigated, and corrected
• What oversight applies to high-volume abortion care involving non-resident patients
• How emergency coordination and patient safety are ensured when complications occur
• Whether state and federal officials support an independent review or audit of abortion-related injuries and interstate abortion activity

AFNM emphasizes that anniversary statements, slogans, or social media posts do not constitute accountability. Public accountability requires direct answers to documented oversight failures.

“Asking oversight questions on the anniversary of Roe is not an attack,” Shaver said. “Refusing to answer them — while continuing to celebrate abortion as healthcare — is an attack on women’s health.”

A One-Party State, No Public Answers

New Mexico is governed entirely by one political party, which controls the Governor’s Office, both chambers of the Legislature, the congressional delegation, and regulatory agencies. AFNM states that the continued absence of public answers on abortion oversight raises serious concerns about transparency and accountability in a one-party state.​

Public records document:​

• Abortion-related injuries to women
• Emergency 911 calls and hospital transports from abortion facilities
• A surge in out-of-state abortion tourism as New Mexico positions itself as a destination state

Detailed documentation of abortion-related risks and patient harm is available here: ​

• Abortion-Related Risks & Patient Harm (Source Documentation)

Abortion Free New Mexico is demanding clear public statements that directly address these concerns, which will be documented and preserved as part of the public record.

By Bud Shaver,

Albuquerque, New Mexico — As the New Mexico Legislature opens its 2026 legislative session on January 20, 2026, Abortion Free New Mexico is responding to Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham’s call for residents to“advocate effectively on what matters most to your family.” The organization agrees — and says families deserve honest answers as the Governor continues to label abortion as “healthcare,” despite public records documenting injuries, emergencies, and a regulatory system that exempts abortion from basic medical standards.

I need your family’s voice at this year’s legislative session. As the session gets underway, parental and family perspectives are more important than ever.

Whether it's education, healthcare, childcare, or community safety—the issues being decided affect your daily life. That's… pic.twitter.com/vWzBiEi49t

— Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham (@GovMLG) January 17, 2026

​The Governor has called for “family voices” to engage this session, saying decisions on healthcare and public safety affect daily life for New Mexicans.

Families agree — and they are raising serious concerns.

In New Mexico, abortion is labeled “healthcare” by political leaders, yet abortion facilities are not held to the same basic standards required of legitimate medical providers. Unlike hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare facilities, abortion facilities operate without routine inspections, without transparent enforcement, and without accountability when patients are harmed.

Make your voice heard.

Abortion Free New Mexico is asking families and the public to stay engaged this legislative session. Transparency and participation matter—New Mexicans can watch proceedings, attend hearings, and share how policies affect their lives.  

• Watch every committee meeting and floor session: WATCH ONLINE HERE
• Find and contact your legislator: CONTACT HERE
• Participate in public comment via Zoom or phone by viewing the daily committee schedule: GET INVOLVED

The Abortion Oversight Gap in New Mexico — comparison of regulated healthcare standards versus abortion facility exemptions.  ​(Graphic courtesy: Abortion Free New Mexico)

Public records document:​

• Abortion-related injuries to women
• Emergency 911 calls and hospital transports from abortion facilities
• A surge in out-of-state abortion tourism as New Mexico positions itself as a destination state

Detailed documentation of abortion-related risks and patient harm is available here: 

• Abortion-Related Risks & Patient Harm (Source Documentation)

Physicians Are Leaving New Mexico

At the same time, licensed physicians and healthcare professionals are leaving New Mexico, citing an increasingly hostile environment for ethical medical practice — one where abortion is shielded from oversight while legitimate providers face heightened regulatory pressure, liability risk, and declining professional standards.

“Healthcare requires standards, inspections, and accountability — and it does not maim or kill,” said Tara Shaver, spokeswoman for Abortion Free New Mexico. “Abortion fulfills none of those requirements in New Mexico, yet it is repeatedly labeled ‘healthcare’ while being exempt from the rules that govern real medicine.”

Shaver said the issue ultimately comes down to honesty and accountability.

“This is not about ideology,” Shaver said. “It is about whether words still mean anything. If abortion is healthcare, then it should be held to healthcare standards. If abortion facilities cannot meet those standards, they should not receive taxpayer funding and should not be allowed to continue operating without accountability.”

Abortion Free New Mexico emphasized that the consequences of the state’s approach extend beyond abortion policy itself.

“When government protects one industry at all costs — even when patients are harmed — it undermines trust in the entire healthcare system,” Shaver said. “Families lose confidence, doctors leave, and standards erode.”

As lawmakers begin deliberations this session, Abortion Free New Mexico is calling on legislators, regulators, and the media to confront the documented reality behind the rhetoric and restore basic healthcare standards that protect women, families, and the integrity of medicine in New Mexico.

Source documentation and public records:

• ABORTION FREE NEW MEXICO REPORTS
• Abortion-Related Risks & Patient Harm (Source Documentation)

By Bud Shaver,

Albuquerque, New Mexico — As the 2026 New Mexico Legislative Session begins January 20, Abortion Free New Mexico has released a comprehensive report documenting a longstanding regulatory gap in state healthcare policy: abortion clinics in New Mexico are not subject to routine health inspections under state law, even as abortion volume and out-of-state patient travel continue to increase.

The report, titled New Mexico’s Abortion Oversight Gap: Expanded Access Without Routine Health Inspections, compiles more than a decade of public records, emergency response data, court filings, and investigative reporting related to abortion-related injuries, medical emergencies, and patient harm in New Mexico.

“New Mexico has made deliberate policy choices to expand abortion access and welcome out-of-state patients, while simultaneously exempting abortion clinics from routine health inspections,” said Tara Shaver, spokeswoman for Abortion Free New Mexico. “Our report documents the real-world consequences of that contradiction and raises serious questions about patient safety.”

According to the report, more than 50 abortion-related injuries and medical emergencies have been identified in New Mexico since 2010, including at least one documented patient death. None of these incidents were uncovered through a routine inspection process, because abortion clinics are not placed on a regular inspection cycle comparable to hospitals, nursing homes, or ambulatory surgical centers.

The report also clarifies that while some abortion facilities maintain federal Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) certification, CLIA applies only to laboratory testing standards and does not evaluate abortion procedures, facility conditions, infection control, emergency preparedness, or overall patient safety.

“This is not a debate about abortion access,” Shaver emphasized. “It is a question of whether the state applies basic, consistent health and safety standards across medical facilities. Routine inspections are a baseline safeguard. Abortion clinics remain exempt by policy choice.”

Political Control and Accountability Context

New Mexico’s abortion oversight framework exists within a broader political environment characterized by unified Democratic control across all major branches of state government.

As of the current legislative session:

• New Mexico Senate (42 seats): 26 Democrats / 16 Republicans
• New Mexico House of Representatives (70 seats): 44 Democrats / 26 Republicans
• U.S. House of Representatives (New Mexico – 3 seats): 100% Democratic
• U.S. Senate (New Mexico – 2 seats): 100% Democratic
• New Mexico Supreme Court: 5 Democrats (5 of 5 justices)
• Governor: Democrat

Because abortion clinic inspection and licensing standards are established through state statute and regulation, responsibility for oversight rests squarely with state policymakers.

Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham has publicly stated:

“As long as I am governor, abortion will continue to be legal, safe, and accessible in New Mexico.”

Abortion Free New Mexico notes that safety is not achieved through declarations alone, but through enforceable oversight mechanisms established in law. If patient safety is a genuine priority, ensuring that abortion clinics are subject to routine health inspections comparable to other medical facilities is a necessary and measurable step.

“History suggests that policymakers who prioritize abortion access above all else are reluctant to impose routine oversight on abortion facilities, even when safety concerns are documented,” Shaver said. “That doesn’t mean reform is impossible — but it rarely happens without sustained public scrutiny.”

Because New Mexico’s abortion oversight framework is a product of unified legislative and executive control, accountability for correcting documented failures rests with the same policymakers who enacted the current system.

Legislative Authority and Responsibility

“As the Legislature considers healthcare priorities during the 2026 session, policymakers have an obligation to examine abortion clinic oversight statutes in light of what the public record already shows,” said Shaver.

“Documented injuries, medical emergencies, and the absence of routine health inspections are not abstract concerns — they are measurable outcomes of policy choices. When facilities are exempt from baseline oversight, risks are addressed only after harm occurs. The Legislature has the authority to review this framework, and with that authority comes responsibility.”

Report and Documentation

The full report, including a timeline of documented incidents and supporting source material, is available online:

•  https://www.abortionfreenm.com/news/new-mexicos-abortion-oversight-gap-expanded-access-without-routine-health-inspections

Related Analysis

•  Gerrymandered Into One-Party Rule: New Mexico’s Life-and-Death Crisis

(Examines the broader political and regulatory context in which healthcare oversight decisions are made.)

By Bud Shaver

Albuquerque, New Mexico — New Mexico currently has zero Republican representation in the United States Congress, leaving millions of residents without a single federal advocate willing to challenge entrenched corruption, demand accountability, or defend basic safeguards in matters involving human life, public health, elections, and the rule of law.

This absence of representation did not occur organically. It followed the enactment of partisan congressional redistricting maps that dismantled New Mexico’s only Republican-held district, effectively engineering a one-party congressional delegation. Through redistricting, communities with distinct political, cultural, and regional identities were divided and absorbed into heavily Democratic districts, ensuring the elimination of meaningful opposition representation at the federal level.
​
The result is a state delegation entirely insulated from dissent — and a population stripped of political recourse in Washington.

With one-party control now consolidated across the legislature, executive offices, judiciary, regulatory agencies, and congressional delegation, New Mexico has become a national outlier — a state where abortion is effectively unregulated, election verification does not require proof of citizenship or residency, and even congressional criminal referrals involving aborted baby body parts have been rejected without prosecution.

Abortion Free New Mexico (AFNM) is calling on Senate Republican Leader John Thune and the broader Republican delegation to act decisively by advancing the SAVE Act, ending the filibuster if necessary, and restoring transparency, verification, and enforcement mechanisms that New Mexico has systematically weakened and dismantled.

“New Mexico is what happens when ideology replaces law,” said Tara Shaver, spokeswoman for Abortion Free New Mexico.“Oversight disappears, enforcement collapses, and powerful interests are protected while women, children, and the public are left unprotected.”

Federal Lawsuit Over Election Rolls Highlights Accountability Crisis

Adding to New Mexico’s collapse in accountability, the U.S. Department of Justice — under the Trump administration — has filed federal lawsuits against New Mexico and other states seeking to compel the disclosure of complete, unredacted statewide voter registration rolls, including names, dates of birth, addresses, and driver’s license or Social Security information, which the DOJ argues are required under federal election laws. 

New Mexico officials have resisted the demand for full voter data, citing state privacy statutes and constitutional authority over election administration.

• New Mexico resists federal demand for voter data​

“When a state refuses to allow verification of its own voter rolls and is then sued by the federal government over it, that confirms what many citizens already know — the rule of law in New Mexico is no longer consistent or transparent,” Shaver said.

Complaints Filed — Accountability Removed

For more than a decade, Abortion Free New Mexico and its leadership have filed formal complaints, sworn statements, and public records requests with state agencies including the New Mexico Nursing Board and the Environment Department, documenting:

• Allegations that non-physicians performed abortion procedures
• Abortion-related injuries requiring emergency medical care
• Unsafe clinic conditions and improper handling of aborted babies remains as biohazard waste
• Failures in informed consent, especially involving minors and out-of-state patients

Despite these filings, no meaningful enforcement actions followed. No licenses revoked. No comprehensive investigations. No public accountability.

“We documented violations. We filed complaints. We followed the process,” Shaver said. “And instead of enforcing the law, the state chose to eliminate it.”

Legislature Repealed Criminal Abortion Law After Complaints Were Filed

In 2021, following years of documented complaints, the New Mexico Legislature repealed the state’s 1969 criminal abortion statute, eliminating criminal penalties and one of the last statutory guardrails governing abortion.

After repeal, abortion in New Mexico became governed almost entirely through administrative rules — without criminal enforcement mechanisms and without clear statutory physician-only requirements, unless enforced by agencies that have repeatedly declined to act.

“Rather than respond to evidence with oversight, lawmakers removed the law itself,” Shaver said. “That repeal sent a clear message: abortion providers would be shielded, not scrutinized.”

Congressional Findings: Trafficking and Research Using Aborted Baby Body Parts

​The accountability collapse deepened when the New Mexico Attorney General declined to pursue a criminal referralfrom the U.S. House Select Panel on Infant Lives.
Following a multi-year investigation involving subpoenas, sworn testimony, internal documents, and financial records, the congressional panel referred Southwestern Women’s Options (SWO) — the nation’s largest late-term abortion facility — and the University of New Mexico (UNM) for potential criminal violations related to the procurement, transfer, and research use of aborted fetal body parts.

According to the panel’s findings, documents indicated:

• Aborted babies’ organs and tissue were transferred from SWO to UNM
• UNM researchers used aborted baby body parts for experimentation and research
• Whole brains from aborted babies were admittedly used for dissection by “summer camp” students.
• Financial and logistical arrangements raised concerns about illegal trafficking and prohibited transactions
• The primary goal of UNM’s partnership with Southwestern Women’s Options was to increase the volume of second trimester abortions, in order to provide the UNM Health Sciences Center with an ample supply of aborted infant remains for “research” and other purposes.
• The Select Investigative Panel agreed with Shaver’s conclusions that New Mexico’s Spradling Act was violated.

​Despite the federal referral, the New Mexico Attorney General rejected the case, and no prosecution or enforcement action followed.

“There will never be justice in New Mexico until leaders, lawmakers, and law enforcement officials stop propping up a failing abortion industry whose grisly trade harms the most vulnerable members of our communities,” said Tara Shaver, spokeswoman for Abortion Free New Mexico. “When Congress refers credible evidence of trafficking and experimentation using aborted children and the state refuses to act, that is not discretion — it is protection.”

Weak Election Safeguards and Collapse of the Rule of Law

AFNM warns that the same political culture protecting the abortion industry has also weakened election safeguards.
​
Under current New Mexico law, voters are not required to present documentary proof of U.S. citizenship or proof of residency when registering, relying instead on self-attestation. In parallel, New Mexico has adopted policies allowing non-U.S. citizens — including individuals without lawful immigration status — to obtain licenses to practice law, following a rule change by the New Mexico Supreme Court.

“When citizenship, elections, medical oversight, and criminal enforcement are all treated as optional, the rule of law collapses,” Shaver said.

Call for Immediate Senate Action

Abortion Free New Mexico emphasizes that New Mexico cannot reform itself internally after intentional redistricting eliminated the state’s only Republican seat in Congress, leaving millions of residents without meaningful federal representation and no internal check on one-party power.

“The U.S. Senate must act because New Mexico was deliberately stripped of representation,” Shaver concluded. “This did not happen by accident. Congressional maps were intentionally redrawn to erase opposition, silence dissent, and lock in one-party control. New Mexico has no Republican voice in Congress by design, and when representation is engineered out of existence, accountability follows it out the door. That is why the rest of the Senate has a responsibility to intervene. End the filibuster if necessary. Pass the SAVE Act. Restore verification, accountability, and the rule of law. This is not a procedural debate — it is a national emergency with life-and-death consequences.”

Abortion Free New Mexico is urging federal lawmakers to recognize New Mexico not as an exception, but as a warning— and to act now to restore transparency, verification, accountability, and justice.

For documentation, congressional records, public filings, and investigative reports, visit AbortionFreeNM.com.

By Bud Shaver,​

Albuquerque, New Mexico — Abortion Free New Mexico (AFNM) is sounding the alarm as abortion tourism into New Mexico reaches unprecedented levels, driven in large part by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and other state leaders who have aggressively expanded abortion access while dismantlingsafeguards, oversight, and accountability.As a result, New Mexico has become a national destination for unregulated, high-volume abortions, drawing women and minors from across the country—often without parental knowledge, without medical transparency, and without any meaningful state monitoring to ensure patient safety.A Crisis of OversightNew Mexico is now the only state in the region where abortion facilities:

• Receive no regular health or safety inspections
• Operate with no state licensing requirements
• Are not required to report abortion complications, minors served, or follow-up care

This regulatory vacuum has created what Abortion Free New Mexico describes as a public safety and human rights crisis.More Than 50 Documented Abortion Injuries — Including One DeathSince 2010, Abortion Free New Mexico has documented more than 50 abortion-related injuries, including one confirmed patient death, using 911 records, eyewitness testimony, and confidential informants.

Documented injuries include:

• Hemorrhage requiring emergency transport
• Uterine perforation
• Respiratory distress under sedation
• Sepsis
• Incomplete abortions requiring emergency surgery
• A fatal late-term abortion complication

The most recent documented abortion-related injury occurred on September 14, 2025, involving a Texas woman injured at a New Mexico Planned Parenthood facility.

• Details of that incident are available here: https://www.abortionfreenm.com/news/state-of-emergency-texas-woman-injured-at-new-mexico-planned-parenthood

A full list of documented cases and highlights is available at:

https://www.abortionfreenm.com/abortion-risks.html

AFNM emphasizes that these cases represent only the injuries that can be independently verified, as New Mexico collects no official data on abortion complications.Minors Receiving Abortions Without Parental NotificationNew Mexico law allows minors from any state to undergo abortions—including late-term procedures–without parental notification or involvement.

Combined with abortion tourism, this policy has resulted in:

• Transport of minors across state lines
• Medical procedures performed in secrecy
• No legal, medical, or ethical accountability
• No mandatory reporting of potential sexual abuse

AFNM Calls for Immediate Action​Abortion Free New Mexico is calling for:

• A federal investigation into New Mexico’s abortion industry
• Congressional review of interstate abortion trafficking
• Mandatory parental involvement protections
• National abortion complication reporting requirements
• Mandatory licensing and inspections of abortion facilities
• Criminal investigations of facilities that endanger women or minors

Tara Shaver, spokeswoman for Abortion Free New Mexico, issued the following statement:

New Mexico has become the nation’s unregulated abortion haven, and the result has been a trail of injured women, exploited minors, and a state government that refuses to acknowledge the crisis it created. Abortion tourism is not compassion—it’s a pipeline funneling vulnerable women and girls into facilities that operate without oversight, without inspections, and without consequences. New Mexicans deserve better, and the women brought here from across the country deserve protection, not political exploitation.”

She added:

New Mexico has become a magnet for dangerous, unregulated abortion practices—because the system was intentionally built that way. Women are being injured, trafficked across state lines, and left with life-threatening complications while the clinics responsible face zero accountability. This is a political crisis, a medical crisis, and a human rights crisis wrapped into one.”

FULL SUMMARY OF FINDINGS
ABORTION FREE NEW MEXICO — ABORTION TOURISM & SAFETY CRISIS DATA SHEET.

​I. Abortion Tourism Surge

• New Mexico clinics report 70%+ of patients from out of state.
• Women—including minors—are flown or driven into New Mexico for abortions because:
  • No parental consent laws
  • No safety standards
  • No reporting requirements
  • No oversight of travel, housing, or follow-up care

This has created a cross-country abortion pipeline with zero accountability.

II. National Abortion Travel Networks Using New Mexico

Publicly documented networks directing women and minors into NM include:

• The National Abortion Federation
• Indigenous Women Rising
• Planned Parenthood Federation of America
• The Brigid Alliance
• Multiple abortion funds coordinating multi-state travel

III. State Oversight: Nonexistent

New Mexico provides less oversight to abortion facilities than to nail salons, a tattoo parlor, veterinarian office, or restaurant kitchen. 

The state imposes:
❌ No inspections
❌ No facility licensing
❌ No standards of care
❌ No complication reporting
❌ No parental notification
❌ No tracking of minors
❌ No consequences for botched abortions​

New Mexico is an intentional sanctuary for unregulated abortion providers.

IV. 50+ Documented Abortion Injuries (2010–Present)

These include:

• Catastrophic bleeding
• Uterine perforation
• Sepsis
• Respiratory distress
• Failed abortions requiring emergency surgery
• One patient death

All verified through:

• 911 emergency records
• Insider information
• Eyewitness testimony

View the full list and injury summaries:
https://www.abortionfreenm.com/abortion-risks.html

Not one injury resulted in a state inspection.

V. Minors in New Mexico Abortion Clinics

New Mexico is a national destination for hiding abortions from parents.

The state allows AND PROMOTES:

• Abortions on minors of any age
• No parental notification
• No consent
• No reporting of sexual abuse
• No verification of who brings a minor across state lines
• No follow-up care requirements

​This is a legal black hole that endangers children and conceals abuse.

VI. How State Leaders Fuel the Crisis

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and key state leaders have:

• Removed barriers to abortion at every stage.
• Publicly encouraged out-of-state abortion travel.
• Funded abortion clinic infrastructure.
• Blocked local governments from enacting safety ordinances.
• Refused to investigate any abortion-related injury or death.

VII. AFNM Recommendations 

• Federal investigation into New Mexico’s abortion industry
• Congressional review of interstate abortion trafficking
• Mandatory parental involvement protections
• National complication reporting requirements
• Mandatory licensing & inspection
• Criminal investigation of facilities that endanger women or minors

Southwestern Women’s Options, UNM, Planned Parenthood, and Whole Woman’s Health operate in New Mexico without a single state inspection. Women have been injured- with one confirmed patient DEATH, minors have been transported, and leaders like Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham pretend nothing is happening.​
This is a manufactured crisis—and we’re exposing every part of it.”
— Tara Shaver, Abortion Free New Mexico

By Bud Shaver,

​Albuquerque, New Mexico — Abortion Free New Mexico (AFNM) is sounding an urgent national alarm, revealing that New Mexico has rapidly become the nation’s primary destination for unregulated, high-volume abortion practices. With virtually no oversight, the state has evolved into what AFNM describes as “a national hub for abortion tourism and an unchecked pipeline for out-of-state abortion businesses.”

Abortion Free New Mexico, the organization that first brought widespread attention to the issue of “abortion tourism” in the state, has played a central role in popularizing the term through its investigative reports, media statements, and statewide public-awareness campaigns. AFNM’s extensive documentation shows a dramatic influx of women and minors being transported into New Mexico from several other states for procedures that are restricted, regulated, or prohibited elsewhere.

“New Mexico has become a refuge not for women, but for the abortion industry itself. With zero accountability and virtually no reporting requirements, abortion businesses have flooded into this state because they know they will never be questioned, never investigated, and never held to even the most basic medical standards. New Mexico has become a magnet for out-of-state abortion businesses and a pipeline for minors and vulnerable women being brought here for procedures that would be restricted or illegal in their own states,” said Tara Shaver, spokeswoman for Abortion Free New Mexico. 

In 2024–2025, AFNM published multiple in-depth reports detailing the rapid expansion of out-of-state abortion providers relocating to New Mexico, the growing dominance of mail-order chemical abortions, and the influx of women transported here by activist funding networks.

AFNM’s 2024–2025 research highlights:

• A dramatic rise in out-of-state clinics relocating to New Mexico to escape regulatory scrutiny.
• Heavy reliance on mail-order chemical abortions, often without in-person exams, ultrasounds, or follow-up care.
• A growing ecosystem of activist-funded travel networks transporting women — including minors — hundreds of miles across state lines.
• A near-total lack of state oversight, allowing abortion centers to operate with a level of secrecy unmatched anywhere else in the country.

AFNM’s marquee 2025 billboard campaign brought national attention to the practice, reaching thousands of women crossing into the state and exposing what AFNM calls “a manufactured abortion pipeline disguised as healthcare.”

“This is not healthcare — it is exploitation.”

AFNM is calling on federal and state leaders to take immediate action by launching a comprehensive review of New Mexico’s abortion industry, including:

• Interstate transport of minors and potential violations of parental rights
• Third-party funding and coordination networks that organize cross-state abortion travel
• Absence of data reporting, safety standards, and post-procedure accountability
• Oversight of out-of-state abortion businesses operating in New Mexico

“New Mexico has become the nation’s abortion destination by design, not by accident,” said Shaver. “We are calling for urgent federal review to protect women, safeguard minors, and ensure accountability for clinics operating without proper oversight.”

About Abortion Free New Mexico

Abortion Free New Mexico (AFNM) is a pro-life research and advocacy organization committed to promoting accountability within the abortion industry and advancing policies that protect women, minors, and the unborn.

By Bud Shaver,​

Albuquerque, New Mexico — New Mexico has rapidly become a national hub for out-of-state abortions. This trend is not driven by local demand, but by an expanding network of wealthy donors, Hollywood celebrities, and billionaire-backed foundations that are actively financing travel, lodging, and abortion procedures for women—primarily from Texas and other states with protective pro-life laws.

Through large charitable gifts, public fundraising campaigns, and entertainment-driven activism, these high-profile figures are fueling a pipeline that moves women across state lines into New Mexico abortion facilities. Their financial support empowers national abortion funds that specialize in arranging flights, hotels, rideshares, meals, childcare, and multi-state logistics for abortion travel.

The result is a well-funded, celebrity-endorsed abortion-travel industry that has turned New Mexico into a national destination for late-term and elective abortions, with minimal oversight or reporting requirements.Celebrities Actively Fundraising for Abortion Travel
​Several entertainment figures have used their platforms, concerts, merchandise sales, and publicity campaigns to financially support abortion funds that provide interstate travel—funds that frequently route clients to New Mexico.​

Top Celebrity Fundraisers & Donors

• Olivia Rodrigo – Directed tour proceeds to the National Network of Abortion Funds (NNAF), which covers abortion-related travel nationwide.
• Phoebe Bridgers – Fundraised for The Brigid Alliance, one of the most active travel-focused abortion funds in the U.S.
• Maggie Rogers – Partnered with Bridgers on high-dollar music releases benefiting abortion-travel organizations.
• Amy Schumer – Regularly promotes and fundraises for organizations like Brigid Alliance and WRRAP, both of which assist with multi-state abortion logistics.
• Busy Philipps – Public advocate who raises awareness and funding for national abortion-access organizations that help transport women into permissive states like New Mexico.
• Lucy Dacus – Directs concert and merchandise proceeds toward abortion funds, including those supporting women leaving Texas.
• Mark Ruffalo – Supports organizations such as Noise For Now and participates in high-profile awareness campaigns, helping direct resources to abortion travel assistance, including for New Mexico.
• Jennifer Lawrence – Uses her public platform to fundraise and advocate for Planned Parenthood and other reproductive justice organizations, increasing funding that supports out-of-state abortion access.

Impact: These celebrity-driven fundraising efforts mobilize millions of followers and generate substantial donations, dramatically expanding the ability of abortion funds to pay for travel to states like New Mexico.

“It is deeply concerning that celebrities are using their fame to funnel resources and attention toward abortion travel. Their influence not only normalizes abortion but actively encourages women to leave their home states to access procedures in New Mexico, putting vulnerable communities at risk,” stated Tara Shaver of Abortion Free New Mexico.

Billionaires & High-Net-Worth Philanthropists Funding Abortion Access
​Several large-scale donors and philanthropic foundations contribute tens of millions of dollars annually to abortion-access organizations. These funds often support the same networks that coordinate travel to New Mexico.

Major Financial Backers

• MacKenzie Scott – Has given massive unrestricted donations to organizations like Planned Parenthood and Guttmacher Institute, strengthening national abortion infrastructure.
• Michael Bloomberg / Bloomberg Philanthropies – Longstanding major donor to abortion-rights groups and policy networks.
• Melinda French Gates (Pivotal Ventures) – Announced multi-hundred-million-dollar commitments to women’s issues, including organizations that defend and expand abortion access.
• Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation – Historically the largest single funder of abortion-related initiatives in the United States, deeply embedded in the national pro-abortion ecosystem.
• Soros-aligned philanthropic networks – Provide significant grants to pro-abortion legal, political, and service organizations that strengthen state-level access hubs.

Impact: These donors supply the financial backbone for the abortion-access movement—funding litigation, clinics, national coordination, and the travel-assistance infrastructure that brings out-of-state women into New Mexico.

How Their Money Directly Impacts New Mexico
​New Mexico’s permissive abortion laws, lack of parental notification, late-term procedures, and minimal state data reporting make it the primary recipient of out-of-state abortion travel from the Southwest.
Abortion funds benefiting from celebrity and billionaire cash:

• Pay for flights into Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and El Paso/Southern NM corridors
• Cover hotel stays and rideshare services
• Coordinate multi-state bus, train, or flight chains
• Provide childcare, food, and lost-wage assistance
• Arrange accompaniment teams for minors and vulnerable women

This infrastructure allows abortion-seeking networks to bypass state protections, enabling abortions that would otherwise be illegal or heavily regulated in donor-restricted states such as Texas.

Tara Shaver, spokesperson for Abortion Free New Mexico, released this statement:

“What we are witnessing is a disturbing trend: wealthy elites, celebrities, and billionaires using their fortunes to turn New Mexico into the nation’s abortion playground. These powerful outsiders are not helping women—they are exploiting them. By funding abortion tourism, they are drawing vulnerable mothers away from their families, communities, and support networks, pushing them toward an irreversible decision.
​
New Mexico is being targeted because we have virtually no protections for women or their unborn children, and these donors know it. Abortion Free New Mexico stands firmly against this predatory system, and we are committed to exposing the financial networks that profit from human tragedy.”

Conclusion

Celebrity-backed fundraising and billionaire philanthropy have supercharged the abortion-access movement, enabling aggressive national efforts to transport women—especially from Texas—into New Mexico for abortions.
​
This emerging abortion-tourism pipeline is not grassroots or community-driven; it is orchestrated by high-dollar donors with political motives and the organizational capacity to further transform New Mexico into a centralized hub for abortion on demand.

Abortion Free New Mexico will continue to document these networks, challenge their influence, and advocate for transparency, accountability, and life-affirming alternatives for women in crisis.

RELATED REPORT: 

• OUT-OF-STATE ABORTIONS SURGE IN NEW MEXICO DRIVEN BY TEXAS AND NATIONAL FUNDS

About Abortion Free New Mexico

Abortion Free New Mexico works to expose and end the abortion industry in New Mexico through investigations, advocacy, and public awareness. The organization has launched a billboard campaign to help counter out-of-state abortions and has a team that compassionately reaches out to abortion-minded women at Albuquerque abortion centers to offer support and help them choose life.

By Bud Shaver,

Albuquerque, New Mexico — New research shows that national abortion funds, Texas-based nonprofits, and affiliated organizations are dramatically expanding their travel, lodging, and logistical grants to bring out-of-state abortion seekers into New Mexico, raising significant concerns among Abortion Free New Mexico leaders about the state becoming a national hub for abortion-on-demand.

Out-of-State Abortion Surge ContinuesMore than 14,000 Texans traveled to New Mexico in 2023 to obtain abortions, and an estimated 71% of all abortions in the state are now performed on women who do not live in New Mexico. This massive influx has transformed the state into what Abortion Free New Mexico leaders describe as an “abortion tourism pipeline.”

The Guttmacher Institute reports that although total numbers dipped slightly in 2024, 12,700 non-residents still traveled to New Mexico for abortions—one of the highest rates in the nation.

National Groups Financing Abortion Travel to New MexicoSeveral national and multi-state abortion funds have increased or restructured their budgets to prioritize long-distance travel to states like New Mexico, where abortion remains legal until birth.

The Brigid Alliance

• Pays for airfare, hotel stays, meals, childcare, and ground transportation.
• Reports an average $2,300 per client travel itinerary.
• Increased meal stipends (from $40/day to $75/day) to better fund long-distance travel.
• Serves a growing share of clients routed to New Mexico for late-term abortions.

National Network of Abortion Funds (NNAF)

• Reports a 39% surge in requests following the Dobbs decision.
• Distributed nearly $37 million nationwide in one year, including $10+ million specifically for practical support such as travel and lodging.
• Prioritizes funding pipelines to “unrestricted states” like New Mexico.

Tubman Travel Project

• Receives major grants (including a $250,000 award) to support facilitated “group travel accompaniment” for Texans heading to New Mexico.
• Provides emotional support, lodging, and coordinated transportation.

Mariposa Fund (New Mexico)

• Focuses on undocumented individuals seeking abortion.
• Provides gas cards, travel coordination, and partnership support with larger national abortion funds.

Texas-Based Groups Driving Travel to New MexicoSeveral Texas nonprofits exist exclusively to help Texas women travel out-of-state for abortions, including New Mexico:

Fund Texas Choice

• Covers airfare, lodging, meals, and ground transportation.

Texas Tubman Travel Initiative

• Coordinates flights, hotels, recovery accommodations, and guided travel accompaniment.
• Has helped 400+ Texas women travel to New Mexico.

Texas Equal Access Fund (TEA Fund)

• Provides financial assistance for travel and related expenses to out-of-state abortion clinics.

Lilith Fund

• Supports Texas women traveling out-of-state, explicitly including New Mexico.

Additional Texas Organizations Providing Abortion FundingMany partner with national networks that route women into New Mexico’s abortion industry.

Frontera Fund (Rio Grande Valley, TX)

• Provides financial assistance for procedures.
• Covers travel for Texans forced to seek out-of-state abortions.
• Frequently used by women in South Texas traveling to New Mexico for later-term procedures.

Jane’s Due Process (Texas)

• Helps Texas minors obtain judicial bypass.
• Funds and coordinates out-of-state travel for pregnant teens without parental involvement.
• A primary facilitator of underage abortion travel to New Mexico.

Stigma Relief Fund (Texas)

• Provides grants to offset abortion procedure costs at clinics like Alamo Women’s.
• Partners with other funds that cover transportation and lodging.

SYS – Support Your Sistah (Texas)

• Supports women of color and low-income Texans seeking abortion services.
• Helps fund out-of-state procedures and collaborates with national travel networks.

The Bridge Collective (Austin, TX)

• Offers transportation and practical support for Texans seeking abortion.
• Former rideshare network now assisting with interstate travel, including to New Mexico.

These organizations often operate independently from national funds but frequently coordinate with them to maintain a streamlined interstate abortion-travel system.

New Infrastructure to Support Abortion Tourism
​
​Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains has launched 

“Gloria,” an Airbnb-style housing platform matching abortion travelers with free lodging during their stay in New Mexico.

Abortion Free New Mexico leaders say this cements an interstate abortion pipeline funded by national and Texas-based groups.

Tara Shaver, spokesperson for Abortion Free New Mexico, released this statement:

“The sheer scale of national and Texas-based funding pouring into New Mexico is alarming. We are witnessing a coordinated, multi-million-dollar effort to fly women—many of them vulnerable and in crisis—across state lines into an industry that profits from ending innocent lives. New Mexico is being targeted and exploited as the abortion capital of the United States. This is not compassion, and it is certainly not healthcare. It is a tragic abuse of women and an assault on our communities. New Mexico must not be used as a dumping ground for abortions that other states have rightly rejected.”

Growing Ethical and Community Concerns

From a pro-life perspective, this expanding network raises several concerns:

• The normalization of donor-funded “abortion tourism.”
• Heavy strain on New Mexico communities as out-of-state abortions dominate statewide totals.
• Creation of a permanent abortion-travel industry with housing networks, travel brokers, and paid coordinators.
• Moral concerns as millions are spent not to support mothers or families but to streamline pregnancy termination.

About Abortion Free New Mexico
​
Abortion Free New Mexico works to expose and end the abortion industry in New Mexico through investigations, advocacy, and public awareness. The organization has launched a billboard campaign to help counter out-of-state abortions and has a team that compassionately reaches out to abortion-minded women at Albuquerque abortion centers to offer support and help them choose life.

By Bud Shaver,  

​Albuquerque, New Mexico- On July 16, 2025 the Secretary of the Army, Dan Driscoll, issued an apology to Operation Rescue on behalf of the Department of Defense. For years the US Army held training seminars that vilified pro-life groups as domestic terrorists, which has been detrimental to the reputations of many pro-life groups including that of Abortion Free New Mexico leaders.

Here is an excerpt from the letter addressed to the American Center for Law and Justice, which represents Operation Rescue and its President, Troy Newman.

“Thank you for your April 24, 2025, letter to the Secretary of Defense and to me regarding your client, Operation Rescue. I am responding for both of us.
​
I was troubled to learn that an Army Army antiterrorism and protection training conducted at Fort Bragg, North Carolina had mischaracterized Operation Rescue, National Right to Life, and other pro-life groups as terrorist organizations.

This characterization was not only inaccurate but also deeply inappropriate.

Let me be clear, the Army does not consider Operation Rescue, National Right to Life, and other pro-life groups as terrorist organizations.”

 Driscol continued,

“While I cannot undo the harm that this training caused, I want to offer my sincerest apology to Operation Rescue, National Right to Life, and all pro-life groups negatively impacted by the false characterization of all pro-life organizations made by this training. Please be assured that I am firmly committed to rigorous oversight of all Army training materials to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future.”

This apology was accepted by Operation Rescue President, Troy Newman but, unfortunately, it appears that the damage has already been done.

“I am glad to accept the Army’s apology, but the harm this has caused Operation Rescue has been incalculable,” said Newman. Being labeled a terrorist in these troubled times has carried with it a heavy burden on my staff and me.”

• Read Secretary Driscoll’s Letter.

As pro-life missionaries and former interns of Operation Rescue, Abortion Free New Mexico leaders, Bud and Tara Shaver were directly targeted with this deeply harmful misinformation. Not only did Media Matters publish the articles below but groups like the former New Mexico Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, now Faith Roots, petitioned the Archbishop of New Mexico to prevent the Shavers from making the state their mission field in 2010.

“What Media Should Know About The Anti-Choice Group Protest ABQ: Meet The Group That Has A History Of Targeting Abortion Providers, Has Connections To Violent Anti-Choice Groups, And Is Now Feeding Misinformation To A Congressional Panel 

Bud and Tara Shaver make no secret of their affiliations with Operation Rescue and its leader, anti-choice extremist Troy Newman. In 2010, Operation Rescue issued a press release announcing that it was “sending two missionaries to Albuquerque, New Mexico[.] According to Newman, “The Shavers have been a tremendous asset to Operation Rescue during their time with us and have done some amazing work. … the Shavers will continue to be a blessing to the pro-life efforts in Albuquerque as they work together with established organizations to end abortion in that community.”[Operation Rescue, 6/14/10]

Here are some examples from Media Matters:

And again:

“Anti-abortion extremist group resurfaces to promote anti-choice misinformation in Wash. Times

In a June 20 article, The Washington Times gave an uncritical platform to a newly re-formed New Mexico anti-abortion group, Abortion Free New Mexico (AFNM). This group is the latest venture of longtime anti-choice extremists Bud and Tara Shaver. The Shavers are acolytes of Troy Newman, the head of the extreme anti-abortion group Operation Rescue, which has for years pushed violent rhetoric against, and harassment of, abortion providers. Prior to forming AFNM, the Shavers headed a similar campaign in New Mexico, called Protest ABQ. Protest ABQ operated from 2014 to March 2017 and not only targeted individual abortion providers and clinics, but also deceptively recorded comments made by clinic staff in order to allege wrongdoing. Before concluding the Protest ABQ campaign, the Shavers leaked their baseless information to a congressional panel investigating disproven claims against Planned Parenthood.”

In the most troubling example, the Democrat Party of New Mexico took these false characterizations more seriously and directly tied our efforts to domestic terrorism:

​”Pro-life activists tied to terrorism in abortion-crazed New Mexico”

• CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL REPORT

At the time, Tara Shaver, spokeswoman for Abortion Free New Mexico issued the following statement,

“For over 12 years we have served New Mexico as pro-life missionaries and have run a successful pro-life ministry without any acts of violence. We have exposed the graphic truth about abortion and have peacefully sought to bring accountability to an out of control and completely unregulated abortion industry in New Mexico. Our goal is to end the atrocity of abortion while educating our culture to embrace women in crisis who are considering an abortion in order to help them rise above their circumstances.

For the Democrat Party of New Mexico to publish egregious misstatements with total disregard for the truth and accuse us of being extremists is the height of hypocrisy. It is the DPNM that is extreme in their view as they champion all abortions, even those up to the day of birth.

We love and value pregnant women from all walks of life and desire to protect them and their pre-born children. We will never waver from proclaiming the truth about the atrocity of abortion and will always stand up for the, ‘least of these’ among us. Our prayers go out to those who support abortion and we hope that those especially in Democrat Party of New Mexico would come to conversion and see how beautiful the gift of life truly is.”

Abortion Free New Mexico and other pro-life groups have been rightly vindicated by the Department of Defense’s investigation. For over 15 years pro-life leaders Bud and Tara Shaver have led a successful ministry free of violence or terrorism, instead they have lived out the gospel with the aim of building a culture of life in New Mexico. 

​Tara Shaver issued the following statement, 

“For years our family has been attacked and slandered by the radical left in New Mexico because we unapologetically oppose the killing of pre-born children in their mothers wombs. Now the record is set straight and our reputation is exonerated. It’s time to move forward and help all New Mexicans value women, children and families and to oppose the lies of the left that only serves to stifle any political progress of building a culture of life.”

By Bud Shaver of Abortion Free New Mexico,

Albuquerque, New Mexico- New Mexico has borne the tragic reputation as the late-term abortion capital of the country and now in a post Roe v. Wade era, is becoming known as the abortion capital of the Southwest partially because of the moral dereliction of duty by the religious community of this once great state. In addition to the notorious reputation we have for abortion tourism, New Mexico consistently ranks at the bottom of national statistics for education, child well being, and quality of life.

New Mexico is consistently one of the poorest states in the nation and has a low median income for families. Crime is rampant while drug use and homelessness is out of control.

A quick inquiry by Google AI confirms these tragic statistics:

Education
• New Mexico ranks last in the nation for Pre-K-12 education 
• Some say New Mexico’s education system is underfunded and not designed for multicultural students 

Income 
• New Mexico is one of the poorest states in the nation
• New Mexico has low median family income

Quality of life
• New Mexico has low school test scores and high crime 
• New Mexico ranks near the bottom of lists for child wellbeing 
• New Mexico ranks near the bottom of lists for quality of life metrics 

Other rankings
• New Mexico ranks near the bottom of lists for public safety 
• New Mexico ranks near the bottom of lists for raising a family 
• New Mexico ranks near the bottom of lists for business 
​
Where is the New Mexico church leadership in the midst of these realities? Surely more can be done collectively to turn these tragic statistics around.

According to Google AI, while the Catholic Church maintains a slight majority of religious adherents in New Mexico, Protestants are catching up. 

Overall, 63% of all adults in New Mexico identify as Christians.
 
In summary:

“New Mexico has a significant Catholic population, making it one of the most Catholic states in the U.S.. While Evangelical Protestants make up the largest segment of the Protestant population, overall, the state also has a considerable number of residents who identify with other Protestant traditions. The overall Christian population in New Mexico is substantial.”

​How do we reconcile the majority of adults in New Mexico identifying as Christians and the overwhelming religious majority identifying as Catholics, with a Democratic trifecta of total political power in the state by a party that is considered “At Odds With Christianity”!? 

In his article titled, “No, Christians Cannot Support The Democrat Party”, Pastor, Seth Brickley emphatically states, 

“No political party in American history is more at odds with biblical Christianity than modern-day Democrats. The party has enshrined the ritualistic child sacrifice of abortion in their party platform. Scripture teaches that life begins at conception (Psalm 139:13-16) but the Democrat Party advocates for abortion at every moment of pregnancy, with the vast majority of Democratic leadership also advocating for even killing children post-birth in cases of botched abortions. In January 2023 almost all House Democrats voted for this evil.”

Why do the majority of New Mexicans continue to vote for political leaders who abandon their Christian values while in office and are rarely held accountable by the religious leaders and constituents of the state?

“The building blocks of a stable community are engaged leaders within the family and religious leaders that will utilize the pulpit to sharply remind political leaders of their moral obligation to enact legislation that will curb the moral degradation of our society,” stated Bud Shaver of Abortion Free New Mexico. 

Abortion Free New Mexico leaders Bud and Tara Shaver are prominent pro-life missionaries in New Mexico. They are known for their strong opposition to abortion, especially late-term abortions, and have actively sought to restrict abortion access in the state. The Shavers’ efforts have made them a focal point in the debate surrounding abortion in New Mexico, which remains a state with relatively few restrictions on abortion access. 

By Tara Shaver of Abortion Free New Mexico,

Albuquerque, New Mexico- In April of 2021 I was due to deliver my 5th child in a planned home birth that turned into an emergency c-section. It has taken me four years to be able to share this testimony because it was pretty traumatic on many levels. This pregnancy occurred during COVID and I was denied medical care at Lovelace hospital in Albuquerque because I refused to harm myself and my unbornchild by wearing a mask during routine visits.  I believe this was the catalyst for having a c-section because I apparently had an underlying infection that was not diagnosed before delivery.

I have had three previous amazing home births and am a strong advocate for natural home birth without medical intervention unless there is an emergency. Home birthing is empowering to women, allowing them to be in a safe comfortable space, while also avoiding unnecessary medical interventions.

After 24 hours of labor with no progress, my midwife and I decided that we needed to get to the hospital because something wasn’t right. My plan was to go to any hospital other than University of New Mexico Hospital (UNMH) because they provide abortions, train abortionists and have their own free standing abortion center near the airport in Albuquerque.

However, my midwife informed me that if we went to UNMH that she knew that she’d be able to stay with me and advocate for me. She informed me that if anything was really wrong with my baby that he would be transferred to UNMH by other hospitals and could potentially lead to the separation of my baby and I. Since my husband had to stay home with our other children I trusted my midwife’s advice and we made the detour to UNMH. 

Once I was signed in at the hospital we waited for the doctor to come in to meet me.  As soon as abortionist, Lisa Hofler, walked in the door I immediately recognized her and my heart sank. At that moment, I panicked and asked myself if I should get up and go to another hospital. 

“UNM Hospital has betrayed women and children by blurring the lines of true medicine. True medicine heals, not harms all of the individuals entrusted into their care, both born and unborn. Doctors can’t deliver babies at UNM Hospital and also kill babies at UNM Center For Reproductive Health abortion facility and maintain our trust, stated Tara Shaver of Abortion Free New Mexico.”

Instead, I gathered my composure and I told her that my baby’s life is just as important as my life but that if anything happened during delivery, to please save my baby. It was the main point I wanted to get across because I instantly did not trust this woman with the life of my unborn child knowing that she destroys little babies bodies by abortion on the days she is not delivering them.

The next few hours concluded with a very emergent c-section, my son was born with an APGAR of 1 out of 10 and Hofler said that he was looking straight at her with a stunned look on his face. He was stuck in my pelvic bone and had to be pried out of my womb. 

I’m thankful that my son survived being delivered by an abortionist but it has come with a certain level of shame and trauma. Delivering there was a compromise on my part, because I’ve spent so much time over the years exposing UNM’s radically pro-abortion agenda. I was forced to have an abortionist as my labor and delivery doctor and had been given no other choice. In fact, Hofler told me after the fact that every doctor in labor and delivery that night was also an abortionist.​

This situation put me as a pregnant woman in a dilemma that I never should have had to face. At delivery women should not have to worry whether or not their baby will be protected by those who are supposed to heal and not harm. 

Birthing a child should be a joyous occasion, it is the most natural and beautiful process we as women get to experience. Hospitals like UNMH have blurred the lines of legitimate healthcare by allowing abortionists, who have betrayed true medicine, to deliver babies at the hospital on the days that they are not killing them at their free standing abortion facility.

RELATED ARTICLES:

• UNM and Tax Funded Abortions In NM

“Abortion Free New Mexico leaders, Bud and Tara Shaver, have redefined the American Mission Field as full-time pro life missionaries to New Mexico since 2010 and are considered by the radical left as, “some of the country’s most strident activists opposed to abortion!” With the help of Operation Rescue and Fr. Stephen Imbarrato they have exposed New Mexico to the world as the “Late-Term Abortion Capital” a designation they coined based on their ground breaking research.“

By Bud Shaver,

Albuquerque, New Mexico- A recent report published by The Ethics and Public Policy Center (EPPC) revealed that the abortion drug, mifepristone, is significantly more dangerous than the FDA drug label currently indicates. 

According to a summary of the bombshell report,

• This largest-known study of the abortion pill is based on analysis of data from an all-payer insurance claims database that includes 865,727 prescribed mifepristone abortions from 2017 to 2023.
• 10.93 percent of women experience sepsis, infection, hemorrhaging, or another serious adverse event within 45 days following a mifepristone abortion.
• The real-world rate of serious adverse events following mifepristone abortions is at least 22 times as high as the summary figure of “less than 0.5 percent” in clinical trials reported on the drug label.
• The FDA should immediately reinstate its earlier, stronger patient safety protocols to ensure physician responsibility for women who take mifepristone under their care, as well as mandate full reporting of its side effects.
• The FDA should further investigate the harm mifepristone causes to women and, based on objective safety criteria, reconsider its approval altogether.

Since 2000, the FDA  safety standards regulating the abortion pill have decreased significantly. 

( The Ethics and Public Policy Center)

Abortion Pills Represent Over Half Of All Abortions In New Mexico

According to the pro-abortion research institute Guttmacher, 63% of all abortions performed in New Mexico in 2023 were chemical/medication abortion pills. This coincides with the national average, Medication Abortion Accounted for 63% of All US Abortions in 2023—An Increase from 53% in 2020.

(Guttmacher)

 In fact, a report published by Abortion Free New Mexico in 2024 revealed,

“While ALL of the abortion facilities provide the abortion pill, half (6) of the abortion facilities across New Mexico exclusively provide only chemical abortions also known as medical abortions.”

Shockingly, Abortion Free New Mexico’s report also exposed that,

“ALL of the free-standing abortion facilities distributing the abortion pill across New Mexico are prescribing the medical abortions well beyond the FDA’s approved cut off of 10 weeks. 

• 7  New Mexico abortion facilities are distributing the abortion pill up to 11 weeks. 
• 3 dispense the pill up to 11 weeks 6 days. 
• Full Circle Health Center located in Las Cruces, New Mexico offers the abortion pill up to 12 weeks.”

REPORT:NEW MEXICO ABORTION LANDSCAPE 2024: DANGEROUS TREND- OUT OF STATE TRAFFIC AND CHEMICAL ABORTIONS EXPANDING THROUGHOUT THE STATE

Tara Shaver issued the following statement,

“It’s no surprise that a drug with a black box warning is more dangerous than originally thought. The sad thing is that most, if not all, abortion seeking women will not be informed of the facts listed in this report. New Mexico abortion centers are making these drugs even more accessible and dangerous by going beyond the FDA’s limits. Every abortion is an injustice, a crime against humanity, the abortion pill drugs should be taken off the market immediately.”

The Good News

Despite Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham’s radical attempt to expand abortion coverage in New Mexico, abortions actually decreased by  2,350 in 2024. 

(Guttmacher)

According to the Pinon Post, this decrease in abortion numbers can be attributed in part to Abortion Free New Mexico’s tireless efforts including our faithful sidewalk advocacy and recent pro-life billboard campaign! 

“This downward trend signals that fewer women are making the tragic choice of abortion, even in a state where abortion remains legal up to the date of birth. That change may be due in part to increased education, public awareness campaigns, and spiritual outreach. Organizations like Abortion Free New Mexico have actively sought to reach women through billboard campaigns along major highways from Texas, offering messages of love and encouragement to mothers in crisis. One reads simply, ‘Mommy. Be brave and turn around. I love you.’”

RELATED ARTICLES:

• BILLBOARD CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED IN TEXAS TO COMBAT ABORTION TOURISM INTO NEW MEXICO
• STAGGERING 565% INCREASE IN OUT OF STATE ABORTIONS IN NEW MEXICO SINCE ROE V. WADE OVERTURNED

• ABORTION FREE FOR ALL IN NEW MEXICO: TAXES FUND ABORTIONS FOR MINORS, ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS AND OUT OF STATE RESIDENTS
• NEW MEXICO ABORTION LANDSCAPE 2024: DANGEROUS TREND- OUT OF STATE TRAFFIC AND CHEMICAL ABORTIONS EXPANDING THROUGHOUT THE STATE

By Bud Shaver,

Albuquerque, New Mexico- ​Life Ministries U.S. has launched a billboard campaign in Texas to combat abortion tourism into New Mexico. Three billboards (two digital and one static) have been strategically placed along two separate major roadways in Texas toward New Mexico to reach women traveling for abortions. The website, PregnancyHelpToday.com, that is featured on the billboards, was created to present vital information, resources and financial assistance that is available to pregnant women in crisis.​ The financial assistance is provided by the Abortion Free New Mexico Life Fund.

• The Life Fund meets the emergent financial needs of pregnant women in crisis. When a pregnant woman needs help paying rent, utility bills, childcare and other miscellaneous needs that often make women feel like an abortion is the only answer, the Life Fund is there to support her.

(Two different digital billboard designs)

(Static billboard along major roadway near the Texas/ New Mexico border)

As pro-life states like Texas are seeing their abortion numbers decrease significantly as a result of Roe v. Wade being overturned and abortion trigger laws, pro-abortion states like New Mexico are unfortunately seeing out of state abortions increase significantly!

​Tragically, the vast majority of the out of state abortions being obtained in New Mexico are on women from Texas who are evading their states pro-life laws.According to a report from the Pinon Post,

“14,200 Texas babies were killed in the womb in New Mexico, marking a tragic influx since the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.”

Radical pro-abortion politicians, including New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham (D), have created an abortion “free for all” by utilizing state tax dollars to fund ad campaigns to draw Texas women into our state for abortions, recruit out of state abortionists to New Mexico to perform abortions, and has funded two multi-million dollar abortion centers to expand abortion into our state.

​Additionally, Planned Parenthood funded at least two billboards celebrating unrestricted access to abortion in New Mexico (one pictured below).

Tara Shaver, spokeswoman for Life Ministries U.S. issued the following statement,

“​Crazed New Mexico democrats are hell bent on expanding abortion tourism into our state. So we have launched our response to their dangerous tax-funded targeting of out-of state pregnant mothers. The primary message of our billboard campaign is to encourage Texas women to ‘Turn Around’ and not come to New Mexico to end the lives of their pre-born children. The fact that women can circumvent Texas abortion laws, by interstate travel, is a real constitutional crisis that must ultimately be addressed by the United States Supreme Court.


How is the right to life in the United States of America lost by crossing a state line?”

Overcoming Major Roadblocks

This pro-life billboard campaign faced several roadblocks. Two major billboard companies: Lamar, and Lindmark rejected our billboards. Lamar cancelled our initial contract for, “abortion pill reversal language” on the website PregnancyHelpToday.com! Lindmark initially approved the billboard design, but then a manager later rejected our pro-life campaign citing potential vandalism concerns!

RELATED:LAMAR BILLBOARD COMPANY REJECTS PRO-LIFE CAMPAIGN OVER ABORTION PILL REVERSAL LANGUAGE​