After a strict abortion rule, the governor of New Mexico asked doctors from Texas to work in her state
Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico announced a new initiative last Sunday aimed at attracting Texas doctors to her state, in response to Texas’s stringent abortion restrictions.
In a direct appeal to healthcare providers in Texas, Lujan Grisham ran a full-page advertisement in five major Texas newspapers. The advertisement featured an “open letter” inviting Texas doctors to practice in New Mexico, where reproductive healthcare is not restricted.
The letter addressed the impact of Texas’s “draconian abortion ban” on medical practitioners. “I know that legal restrictions on healthcare in Texas have created a heavy burden for medical practitioners—especially those now barred by law from providing the full spectrum of reproductive healthcare,” Lujan Grisham wrote. “It must be distressing that a draconian abortion ban has restricted your right to practice and turned it into a political weapon.”
Lujan Grisham expressed respect for those who choose to remain in Texas but extended an invitation to those who can no longer tolerate the restrictions. “I certainly respect those of you who remain committed to caring for patients in Texas, but I also invite those of you who can no longer tolerate these restrictions to consider practicing next door in New Mexico,” she added.
The governor assured that New Mexico is committed to avoiding similar restrictive abortion laws. “You have my word: I will never interfere with the fundamental right of health workers to care for their patients in New Mexico,” she concluded. “Whether you are a nurse, a resident, a physician assistant, or a doctor, we cordially and enthusiastically invite you to the Land of Enchantment, where you are free to care for your patients.”
Texas has some of the most restrictive abortion laws in the United States, banning nearly all abortions and allowing private citizens to sue healthcare providers and anyone assisting women seeking abortions at about six weeks of pregnancy. Texas is among 22 states with abortion restrictions that are more severe than those set by Roe v. Wade, which was overturned in 2022.
Lujan Grisham’s appeal is part of the “Free to Provide” campaign, which also includes six billboards around Houston Medical Center promoting New Mexico as a state where medical providers are free to offer comprehensive care.
In response, Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s press secretary, Andrew Mahaleris, criticized the initiative. “People and businesses vote with their feet, and continually they are choosing to move to Texas more than any other state in the country,” Mahaleris said. “Governor Lujan Grisham should focus on her state’s rapidly declining population instead of political stunts.”
