ON ANNIVERSARY OF ROE v. WADE, ABORTION FREE NEW MEXICO DEMANDS PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY — NOT SILENCE — ON ABORTION OVERSIGHT

By Bud Shaver,

​Albuquerque, New Mexico -- 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)

CLIA (Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments) Clarification

CLIA certification is frequently cited as oversight, but it is not.
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The Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) regulate laboratory testing only. CLIA does not inspect abortion facilities, oversee clinical practices, or protect patients when injuries occur.