June 24, 2022, was a devastating day for Jennifer Welsch, the president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Illinois. That was the day the Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson decision overruled Roe v. Wade, clearing the way for states to ban or severely restrict abortion.
Welsch was infuriated, but not surprised. She’d been preparing for that moment since 2016, when Donald Trump was elected president. Welsch, like many people involved in abortion care in Illinois, saw the writing on the wall. She realized then that Illinois would likely become a vital destination for women seeking reproductive health care.
Their years of planning have paid off — Illinois has indeed become a haven for women who need abortions. Its experience shows the herculean efforts needed to coordinate care with providers in other states; open new clinics in underserved areas; and pass laws that protect providers from prosecution.
