Republicans Fight to End Biden’s Policy Funding Abortions for Illegal Immigrants

Twenty-nine Republican lawmakers have backed a bill introduced Thursday morning to end taxpayer-funded abortion travel for illegal immigrants.

Led by Reps. Mark Harris (R-N.C.) and Mary Miller (R-Ill.), the legislation builds on efforts dating back to the first Trump administration, when policies were enacted to block unaccompanied minors in federal custody from accessing abortions. However, a press release from the sponsors highlights how the issue continued into the Biden era. In 2021, the administration rolled out the Unaccompanied Children Program Foundation Rule, which mandated that the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) provide “access to medical care, including transportation across state lines and associated ancillary services” for family planning — which explicitly encompasses abortions.

Critics, including the bill’s backers, argue this policy flagrantly violated the Hyde Amendment, a longstanding federal law prohibiting the use of taxpayer dollars for most abortions. Under Biden, they claim, ORR became an outlet for funding travel, lodging, and related expenses to facilitate abortions for undocumented minors in federal custody.

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Now, with President Donald Trump back in the White House, the administration is allegedly poised to rescind the Biden-era rule outright in order to replace it with stricter guidelines that prioritize “common-sense protection of life,” the press release emphasized. In effect, Harris and Miller’s bill would codify these changes into law to help ensure they survive future administrations.

In addition to Harris and Miller, co-sponsors of the bill include congressmen from Texas, Tennessee, Alabama, Arizona, Louisiana, Georgia, Indiana, Missouri, Wisconsin, Virginia, Maryland, Florida, Ohio, Kentucky, and California. Supporting organizations are Family Research Council, March for Life Action, Students for Life Action, CatholicVote, and Center for Urban Renewal and Education.

If passed, the act would create a list of “prohibited” federally funded services for illegal immigrants seeking abortions that would explicitly bar taxpayer dollars from covering:

• Travel (e.g., airfare, bus, or mileage reimbursement across state lines)
• Lodging (hotels or temporary housing during procedures)
• Meals (subsistence during travel or recovery)
• Child care (services for accompanying minors)
• Translation services (language assistance for non-English speakers)
• Doula care (support during labor or abortion)
• Patient education and information services (counseling or resources related to reproductive procedures)

As the bill’s proponents emphasized, “Taxpayer funds should never be used to pay for abortion travel for illegal aliens.” In a statement, Harris asserted that “no American should ever have their tax dollars used to shuttle illegal aliens across state lines for abortions. That’s why we’re fighting to stop these outrageous Biden-era policies that turned federal programs into a taxpayer-funded Uber for abortions. We’re going to end it.”

Miller concurred, stating, “Joe Biden turned federal agencies into abortion traffickers by directing the Office of Refugee Resettlement to arrange and finance abortion travel for illegal alien minors.” As she concluded, “President Trump’s administration is rightfully moving to reverse this shocking abuse of taxpayer dollars, and I’m proud to partner with Congressman Mark Harris on legislation that permanently ends it.”

LifeNews Note: Sarah Holliday is a reporter at The Washington Stand, where this originally appeared.