Despite MLG’s pro-abortion campaign, NM sees decrease in abortions

While abortion rates across the United States continue to rise, New Mexico has seen a noteworthy decline — a trend that many pro-life advocates view as a hopeful sign of cultural and spiritual change. A recent report by the Guttmacher Institute, an organization that supports abortion up-to-birth, confirms that the number of abortions in New Mexico fell by 11% in 2024, dropping from nearly 21,000 to approximately 18,600. This decline breaks from the national trajectory, where the overall number of abortions grew by about 1% last year, reaching an estimated 1.04 million.

This decrease in abortions in New Mexico is especially significant considering the state’s surge in procedures following the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 Dobbs decision, which overturned Roe v. Wade. In the months after the ruling, New Mexico’s abortion rate skyrocketed by more than 78%, making it one of the top destinations for women from nearby states like Texas, where strong pro-life protections were enacted. In fact, in 2023, Texans accounted for 68% of all abortions in New Mexico, representing nearly 14,000 of the procedures performed.

However, despite aggressive promotion from pro-abortion politicians and the use of taxpayer dollars to lure abortionists to relocate to New Mexico, the tide appears to be shifting. In 2024, the number of out-of-state patients declined slightly as well, from 70% of all abortions in 2023 to 69% last year. While the percentage change may seem small, the total number of abortions dropped by more than 2,000 overall.

This downward trend signals that fewer women are making the tragic choice of abortion, even in a state where abortion remains legal up to the date of birth. That change may be due in part to increased education, public awareness campaigns, and spiritual outreach. Organizations like Abortion Free New Mexico have actively sought to reach women through billboard campaigns along major highways from Texas, offering messages of love and encouragement to mothers in crisis. One reads simply, “Mommy. Be brave and turn around. I love you.”

Tara Shaver, spokesperson for the group, emphasized the importance of standing up for the unborn: “We believe that women in Texas are protected by their state’s laws, and they should not be able to circumvent those laws by coming to New Mexico.” Despite opposition from Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, who has funneled millions in public money to build abortion facilities and recruit out-of-state abortionists, many New Mexicans continue to stand up for life. According to polling, most New Mexicans are pro-life.

The governor’s “Free to Provide” campaign, which used $400,000 in taxpayer funds to draw abortion providers from other states, along with her push for $10 million to build a new clinic in Northern New Mexico, underscores how invested the state’s leadership is in promoting abortion. But the declining numbers suggest that New Mexico’s residents — and perhaps even those coming from out of state — are beginning to make different choices.