El Paso abortion clinic expected to close after ruling

A win for those in favor of stricter abortion policies in Texas.

The U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld key parts of the state’s strict anti-abortion law. It requires clinics have the same operating standards as hospitals.

Texas currently has 17 abortion providers, but the ruling could leave as few as seven clinics operating in the state.

So what’s this mean for the Borderland?

While a clinic in McAllen was allowed an exemption from the law because it is located near the border, the only remaining abortion clinic in El Paso was denied the same exemption because there is an abortion clinic in nearby Santa Teresa.

“Yesterday was a very sad day for the women of Texas,” said Gloria Martinez, owner of Hilltop Women’s Reproductive Clinic in El Paso, which is now expected to close sometime in the next three weeks, leaving the closest abortion to the east all the way in San Antonio. “We were wondering why we were not exempt from that law, due to the fact we’re still a border clinic as well.”

The ruling by a New Orleans court stated the El Paso clinic was close enough to the Women’s Reproductive Clinic in Santa Teresa, which Martinez opened almost 10 years ago. And more than half the women who obtained abortions there were from El Paso.

“But still that’s in New Mexico, that’s not here in Texas,” Martinez said. “I think the women here in Texas shouldn’t even have to travel that far.”

Owners of many abortion clinics in Texas, including Martinez, have indicated they would rather close their doors than make million dollar upgrades.

“That’s a shame that they don’t feel that its worth the money and effort to protect women,” said Nydia Correa, executive director of House of Hope in El Paso, a non-profit pregnancy resource center located on Montana Street. “Anywhere you go, everybody has to meet certain requirement and why are we not requiring that of abortion facilities where they’re doing an invasive surgery.”

Correa said she wants these kinds of protections for women.

“As far as saying its just too expensive, everybody knows abortion is a profit making business,” Correa said. “So there are funds there, it’s just a matter of wanting to put your money there or not.”

While Texas tightens its restrictions, New Mexico has some of the most lax abortion restrictions in the country, including no waiting periods, parental involvement or limitations on publicly funded abortions.