By Emily Drooby
For over a year, Planned Parenthood has been secretly building an abortion facility in southern Illinois, not far from the last remaining clinic in the state of Missouri.
Planned Parenthood had been using a sham company to leave no public trace of what it was doing. Now, the 18,000-square foot mega-clinic has been revealed.
According to a Planned Parenthood representative, the Illinois location will make it easier for Missouri residents to get abortions.
Missouri has the some of the most stringent pro-life laws in the country.
“So just about nearly every hoop that our patients from Missouri have to navigate right now is eliminated here,” said Dr. Colleen McNicholas of Planned Parenthood.
In about a month when the doors open, it’ll become one of the largest abortion facilities in the country.
Reportedly, the number of women traveling to Illinois for an abortion has doubled since 2017.
Some fear the number could climb with the new mega-clinic.
Pro-life advocates around the country are outraged, especially in New York.
“My heart sank, but we aren’t done,” said Julia Chitos, a Board Member at Queens Pregnancy Help Center. “We aren’t giving up. This too shall pass, because evil never wins. We will put our hearts together, our souls together and we will win this battle.”
While pro-life advocates say something must be done to stop the new clinic, the location in Missouri could be shut down soon. The state wants to revoke its license after investigating issues involving patient care.
“Every step should be taken to ensure that all laws are followed for the safety and well-being for women’s health care,” said Missouri Republican Senator Mike Parson in June.
Protecting the unborn is gaining a lot of support from many state legislatures: 300 bills restricting access to abortion have been introduced this year by state lawmakers, while 12 states have already passed abortion bans.
Much like New York, in Illinois politicians have gone in the other direction, making it easier for pregnant women to get abortions.
“We are all brothers and sister, regardless of where you are,” said Fred Trabulsi, the Executive Director of Life Center of New York: “One abortion affects all of us. It’s life, and this means more and more babies will be taken from the wombs of their mothers.”