PHOENIX, AZ – This week’s ruling by the Arizona Supreme Court that threatens to turn back the clock on abortion rights in Arizona by 160 years is not only a wrongheaded legal travesty but a direct affront to the values and freedom of the Latino community in the state and nationwide.

Our latest polling shows that Latinos continue to oppose efforts to criminalize abortion “or take that decision away from others, no matter their own personal beliefs on the issue,” by a 71% to 23% margin.

This makes sense, given that Latinas and other women of color will be the most impacted population in the state if this decision is allowed to stand.

The court’s draconian ruling undermines our collective voice and disregards the Latino community’s broad and longstanding support for abortion rights. We call on our allies and supporters to join us at this critical moment to help affirm our commitment to equitable healthcare access and ensure that our community’s voice is heard and respected in the ongoing dialogue surrounding reproductive rights.
 
As the fastest growing segment of small businesses in the state and nationally, Latinas are the backbone of the Arizona economy. Instead of supporting one of Arizona’s most valuable resources, the right wing is threatening to put our women and the doctors who care for them in jail.
 
The court’s decision echoes an era in which women could not vote, could be forced to marry as young as ten years old, and were widely treated as less than fully American.
 
We will not stand for this, and we will not stand down, as Arizonans prepare to consider the proposed ballot initiative on abortion rights that we believe has the potential to shift the political foundation of the state for years if not decades to come. This ill-advised decision by the Arizona Supreme Court will ignite a movement led by Latinas and other women, and millions of allies across the state, to restore abortion rights and birth a new political era in Arizona.

UnidosUS Action Fund will be mobilizing voters in the coming months for candidates that support women’s rights, healthcare access and economic opportunity for Latinos in Arizona and across the nation.

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