Recently, one of our Love Life City Directors reached out to us wondering how to best address the growing issue of undocumented immigrants showing up at the abortion center. We have noticed an uptick in the number of largely hispanic immigrants whose primary reason for abortion is the struggle of being undocumented and not able to access services. Sometimes that access is due to language barriers, or sometimes due to lack of awareness of resources they can access. Whatever the reason, it is important to have some strategies in place for this growing challenge to SWO teams.
The Language Barrier
We did a podcast episode specifically on the language barrier (https://www.gospelcenteredprolife.com/overcoming-the-language-barrier/) which might be useful to listen to. We give many suggestions on how to deal with people who do not speak English. Technology can be our friend in this! Great translating apps are widely available, and many are free.
Love Life Guidelines
While Love Life does not have a policy specific to this issue, we do offer some guidelines in how to deal with the issue of undocumented immigrants coming to abortion centers to kill their babies.
Discerning Legal Status
We first need to discern if they are indeed undocumented without scaring them away from talking with us. I usually ask if they are able to receive medicare. If they say no, or tell me they cannot get any insurance, I know it is likely they are undocumented. I assure them immediately that no matter what their immigration status is, we want to help them.
Assuring Them of Our Desire to Help
We let them know that their immigrant status is NOT our issue to deal with, we will not report them, and we will do everything in our power to help both the mom and the baby. In Charlotte, we are blessed to have a partner ministry (Embrace Latina Voices) who has free immigration lawyers and help specific to the Latino population. We also have a wonderful prolife doctor who provides free medical care during the pregnancy to undocumented moms. It is a model that would be wonderful to have in all cities, but I understand most do not. Talking with local PRC directors is often a good first step in finding resources because often they already have developed plans to deal with this growing issue.
Understanding the Obstacles
Finding services IS harder when women are undocumented. Additionally, we have found there are sometimes very troubling and messy situations. Sometimes they are here in America alone, with children still in their home country. Sometimes they were raped in the process of making their way here. Sometimes they are in adulterous relationships with a married man who is working here and sending money home to his family. Sometimes they are living in groups in very small apartments. They are often fearful of asking for help for fear of deportation. Understanding these issues help us to counsel with more compassion.
Suggestions for Resources and How to Find them
In Charlotte, we often connect the moms to local hispanic House of Refuge churches, but the mentors are deluged. The need is growing faster than we can keep up at times. Locally, we do have a maternity center (Missionaries of Charity) that will also take these moms in. Again, it might be good to call the maternity centers in your area and find out their policy on this and whether they can direct you to help.
Beyond what Love Life provides and the resources to which a Pregnancy Resource Center can point the moms, Google is a valuable resource. I use key words and phrases to search for resources in the community where the mom resides.
For example, recently I searched for resources in Denver, Colorado. I used key phrases such as “maternity homes for undocumented pregnant women,” “resources for undocumented families in Denver,” “medical aid for undocumented women in Denver,” “help for undocumented moms with kids in Denver,” etc. I was able to find a long list of potential resources. Some of what I found is listed below to give an idea of how helpful a targeted Google search can be.
This article indicates that next year, they will be able to get Medicaid in Colorado: (https://www.cpr.org/2022/06/07/colorado-expands-medicaid-access-undocumented-pregnant-people)
Here is another resource in Denver for helping them access medical care: https://www.denverhealth.org/patients-visitors/amenities-experience/immigrant-refugee-patient-rights
Here’s a place that offers supplies for families and children in Denver:
https://centerforhealthprogress.org/the-campaigns/immigrant-health/
https://hungerfreecolorado.org/service/snap-for-mixed-status/
This is another resource specific to Denver area help for undocumented families: Undocumented Families and Immigrant Communities Click below to have access to resources in Colorado for undocumented folks and immigrant families. This list was compiled by Informed Immigrant.
This is almost always my strategy when I encounter issues I am not sure of how to tackle. Usually if I persevere, I find helpful info.
Always Counsel with Three Key Talking Points
Despite the significant struggles these women face, murder of their unborn child is never the answer. The Latino population almost universally believes in God and will admit abortion is wrong. They are often more easily persuaded to consider a choice for life than some other groups we meet because of their culture. They often do not know of the resources available and if help is offered, it can quickly change their outlook on the child.
I always share the Gospel and relevant scripture about the baby and what God says on the issue of murder. While they almost always tell me they believe in God, I often find they do not know specific convicting scripture such as Deuteronomy 30:19. They tend to be strongly convicted the more I point them to the word of God.
They also are often further along than some of the other women we meet at the abortion center. I believe this is in part due to difficulty finding the center because of language barriers. Sometimes it is due to struggles finding transportation, the money for the abortion, or conflict in their heart which delays them from taking action. They are often NOT knowledgeable about the development of the unborn child and are surprised at how developed even a very young unborn child is. When they see the baby on the ultrasound, they are often shocked at what they see, and sometimes change their mind on the spot!
Summary
Dealing with moms coming to abort who are here in America without documentation is a huge and growing problem. Below is a summary of how we deal with it:
1. Have a good translator app on your phone so you can communicate (or learn Spanish as I am and have key SWO phrases ready. We do have a list of those in our Love Life SWO Field Guide.)
2. Let them know you only want to help them and their baby, not report them
3. Research and have on hand the resources and organizations already in place for undocumented immigrants
4. Connect with Latino churches as potential House of Refuge Churches and mentor pool.
5. Usually they are the easiest group we work with in terms of choosing life because the culture is clear that the unborn child should not be killed. Largely religious group who almost uniformly say they know God and know abortion is wrong.
6. Still counsel as you would any mom with the 3 talking points.
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