Differing abortion laws in Minnesota and North Dakota are leading to confusion and fear for out-of-state patients seeking abortion care at the Red River Women’s Clinic, according to clinic director Tammi Kromenaker.
In June 2022, the Supreme Court issued a decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health that reversed the Roe v. Wade decision that established a woman’s right to an abortion. Since that decision, states have been deciding their own abortion laws.
North Dakota has a pending abortion ban that’s held in limbo by a lawsuit. With that ban looming, last summer, the state’s only abortion clinic moved across the Red River into Moorhead, where the Red River Women’s Clinic continues to operate.
Patients who come to the clinic from states with active abortion bans have genuine fears that legal action could be taken against them, Kromenaker said.
The clinic staff spends a lot of time explaining to patients that it is safe to come to Minnesota for an abortion. Women have always traveled for abortion care, Kromenaker said, adding, “It’s unfortunate that patients have to face those fears.”