Over one hundred anti-abortion rights and abortion rights activists held dueling protests over the upcoming reproductive healthcare center in Las Cruces.
The Southwest Coalition for Life held a “prayer rally" at the site of the upcoming Ocotillo Sexual and Reproductive Health Clinic in Las Cruces.
The protesters marched to the Lohman and Roadrunner intersection then to the Lohman and Sonoma Ranch intersection before returning to their spot in front of where the new clinic is being built.
During the march and prayers, the group held signs that said “Pray to Stop the Abortion Center” and “Abortion Hurts Women.”
Jessica Sifuentes with the Southwest Coalition for Life, said that there are many concerned New Mexicans that do not want state funds going to abortion care.
“New Mexico is more pro-life than we think. When we are becoming the abortion destination for the states, that is a problem. We do not want our tax dollars going to fund yet another abortion facility when there are only two medical services that are given to women for the opportunity to give birth,” Sifuentes said.
The clinic's construction started in 2024 and the groundbreaking was attended by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham. According to a press release from the state, the facility was partially funded by $10 million from the state and is designed to provide abortion services, contraception options, adoption resources, STI screenings and more.
Sifuentes highlighted her thoughts saying abortion is not women's healthcare.
“Our goal is to educate the public and let them know that they are the constituents of the city and they have a right to say we want true women's healthcare and that is not abortion,” Sifuentes said.
However they were not the only people voicing their opinions.
Counter protesters gathered to voice support for the clinic. While some confrontations did take place, the two groups mostly stayed separated.
Abortion rights demonstrator Diane Starbuck said that she supports the new center and that it will provide more than abortions..
“It is providing healthcare services to women but not only women. They are going to do birth control, cancer screenings and just overall women's healthcare,” Starbuck said.
Starbuck announced the counter protest at a recent city council meeting and called others to join. She says that most of the protesters were from out of state and do not represent New Mexico.
“Southwest Coalition for Life is an El Paso based group, right to lifers, who are coming here to protest the Ocotillo Sexual and Reproductive Health Center and we have a group out here to counter protest to their activity because New Mexico Values their women and we want freedom of choice,” Starbuck said.
However, Sifuentes disagrees with this and says that many people in New Mexico are against abortion rights.
“We have our Southwest Coalition office here in Las Cruces. We are expanding and the reason we are expanding is because we have the support and the only reason we have the support is because there are more pro-life people than we give credit for,” Sifuentes said.
The clinic is set to open in fall of this year.
