In his first month of office, President Donald Trump has implemented policies affecting abortion and reproductive healthcare both in the United States and globally, sparking concern among reproductive rights advocates. Legal and healthcare experts warn that additional restrictions may follow.
Trump’s Justice Department announced it would limit prosecutions of anti-abortion protesters who obstruct access to clinics, signaling a shift in enforcement of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act. The move followed Trump’s pardons of several individuals convicted of violating the Act. Nancy Northup, CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights, criticized the decision, calling it a “clear signal” that the administration will tolerate actions that disrupt clinic access.
Domestically, Trump signed an executive order reinforcing the Hyde Amendment, which bans federal funding for abortions, while revoking orders from the Biden administration that had expanded reproductive healthcare access. Internationally, the administration reinstated the Global Gag Rule, which prohibits foreign organizations receiving U.S. aid from providing or discussing abortion care. The freeze on foreign aid has already impacted contraceptive access for millions of women worldwide, raising concerns about unintended pregnancies and maternal mortality.
Legal experts suggest the administration’s stance on abortion could lead to additional restrictions, including potential changes to the availability of abortion medications like mifepristone. With the administration’s power to appoint conservative judges, future court decisions may further shape reproductive rights.
Mary Ziegler, a law professor at the University of California, Davis, noted that while Republican administrations typically take anti-abortion actions, Trump’s measures appear more extensive. “We’re still in kind of a wait-and-see mode,” she said, warning that the administration’s long-term influence could reshape access to reproductive healthcare for years to come.
Advocates like Northup urge vigilance, emphasizing that with Roe v. Wade overturned, Trump’s administration faces fewer legal constraints in restricting abortion. “Everybody who cares about access to abortion care should be on red alert for what this administration will do next,” she said.