Minneapolis officials said Wednesday that they hope to make the city a "safe haven" for people seeking abortions and reproductive health care by limiting city employees' ability to assist agencies that might attempt to prosecute them.
"The message to Minneapolis residents, the message more broadly to other cities and states around us, is if you need that basic health care service of abortion, we in Minneapolis are a safe haven," Mayor Jacob Frey said Wednesday, moments after he signed an executive order putting new restrictions in place.
The new order comes weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, which had for nearly half a century guaranteed a constitutional right to abortion. Cities and states across the country are now weighing whether they want to restrict or further enhance access to abortion, emergency contraception and other services as the nation gears up for another high-stakes election cycle.
Minnesota is expected to become an island in the Midwest for patients seeking legal abortions, just over 10,000 of which were performed in the state last year. Minneapolis officials said Wednesday that they want to ensure that people feel safe seeking the procedure within city limits.
"We are going to do everything that we can to make sure that people continue to have safe, secure access to health care in the community of Minneapolis," City Council President Andrea Jenkins said. Frey described Wednesday's order as a "first step" in that process.
The order aims to prevent city of Minneapolis employees from providing information or assistance to outside agencies seeking to prosecute people wanting reproductive health care that is legal in Minnesota — including abortion, contraception and services aimed at "managing pregnancy loss" — and professionals helping them obtain those services. It includes an exception, though, when that assistance is "required by statute, regulation" or court order.
"To be clear, we will not be assisting with investigations. We will not be furthering the work of other jurisdictions," Frey said. He added: "Obviously, if there is a court order requiring otherwise, we have to comply with the court order. That's not just the case in Minneapolis. That's every city in the entire country."
The order applies only to people employed by the city of Minneapolis. Other entities operating within city limits may have their own rules. Carolyn Marinan, a spokeswoman for Hennepin County, said, "HIPAA/privacy would prevent us sharing any personal medical information without a written release from the person receiving the care."
