Chicago Abortion Fund Responds to the Trump Administration Abandoning EMTALA Emergency Abortion Lawsuit
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
Eleanor Grano, Communications Manager, Chicago Abortion Fund
Email: communications@chicagoabortionfund.org
Phone: 312-219-1611
CHICAGO, IL – March 6, 2025 — This week, the Trump administration moved to dismiss a lawsuit that had blocked Idaho from criminalizing doctors for providing emergency abortion care, abandoning the fight to enforce federal protections under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA).
Chicago Abortion Fund's Executive Director, Megan Jeyifo, issued the following statement:
“The Trump administration’s decision to walk away from this case is a devastating betrayal of pregnant people experiencing a medical emergency. EMTALA has been the law for nearly 40 years, guaranteeing that everyone can access emergency medical care, including abortion, regardless of state abortion bans. We know that abortion care is healthcare, period—and nothing should stand in a doctor’s way of providing life-saving, life-affirming care.
On the campaign trail, Trump lied—repeatedly—telling the public he wouldn’t interfere with pregnant people’s ability to get the care they need. Now, six weeks into his administration, he’s not just breaking that promise—he’s making way for states to deny people essential, life-saving emergency medical care. This is in line with the goals of Project 2025, deliberate, calculated, and fueled by a deep contempt for our lives. The cruelty is the point. And in the face of that cruelty, we must remember our humanity. Abortion funds like CAF connect people to care every single day and we will be here for those forced to navigate yet another crisis manufactured by politicians who lack basic empathy for their constituents.”
The Complex Abortion Referral Line for Access (CARLA) program—a first-of-its-kind program created through a collaboration between CAF, the Illinois Department of Public Health, and four Chicago-area hospitals—launched in 2023 and recently celebrated 1,000 referrals.
CAF has supported over 930 callers who needed complex hospital-based abortion care since the fall of Roe v. Wade June 2022, 633 of whom were based outside of Illinois. The cost for these procedures ranges from $3,000 to $22,000 in the Chicagoland area, with hospital-based abortion care accounting for 27% of CAF’s Helpline budget despite making up under 3% of call volume.
In 2024, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker signed the Hospital Emergency Services Act that ensured that pregnant people can access needed emergency medical care, a piece of legislation pushed by reproductive health organizations, advocates, and legislative champions statewide.
CAF remains committed to supporting all people who need abortion care in Illinois, including those in the South and across the Midwest who are forced to cross state lines to access care.
For more details on the impact of this decision on abortion funds, read CAF’s 2024 amicus brief that includes statements from Frontera Fund, Fund Texas Choice, Nebraska Abortion Resources, Northwest Abortion Access Fund, and Texas Equal Access Fund. Read CAF’s op-ed in Prism Reports on the EMTALA case.
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The Chicago Abortion Fund (CAF) isn't just an organization; we're a movement. For 40 years, we've been tearing down barriers to abortion care in Chicago, the Midwest, and beyond. We're not just providing funding; we're supporting our callers in accessing freedom, dignity, and autonomy.
CAF offers support for clients seeking abortions including, procedure funding, travel and related needs like childcare, emotional support and logistical expertise. The organization has relationships with 75+ abortion clinics across 12 states, and supports people nationwide. Since the Dobbs decision, CAF has received support requests from over 33,000 people. In 2024 alone, CAF fielded over 16,000 support requests and distributed over $5 million in direct assistance.