U.S. Religious Groups Accused of Refusing Reproductive Health Care to Immigrant Minors

The American Civil Liberties Union, or ACLU, is reportedly suing the Obama administration as part of its campaign to ensure that religious organizations provide abortion and contraception to unaccompanied immigrant minors.

The lawsuit seeks to compel the federal government to release official records related to reproductive healthcare policy for unaccompanied immigrant children in the care of federally funded Catholic agencies, which do not believe in abortion.

"We have heard reports that Catholic bishops are prohibiting Catholic charities from allowing teens in their care to access critical services like contraception and abortion – even if the teenager has been raped on her journey to the United States or in a detention facility," said ACLU staff attorney Brigitte Amiri.

Tens of thousands of unaccompanied immigrant minors cross the U.S. border each year, many of whom are teenagers. The U.S. government has committed to providing services to meet the basic needs of these teens. Reports indicate that between 60 and 80 percent of women and girls who cross the border are sexually assaulted.

ACLU said various groups including religious organizations are awarded contracts by the U.S. government to provide the teens with day-to-day care including health care. Some of these groups deny these teens access to contraception and abortion because of religious beliefs.

"Many unaccompanied teenagers come into the U.S. fleeing abuse and torture in their home countries. Many have been sexually abused or assaulted or forced into prostitution," said Amiri.

"We believe deeply in religious freedom. But religious freedom does not include the right to take a government contract that requires providing access to health care, and then refuse to provide a teen who has been raped the health care she needs," she said.

According to ACLU, the federal government recently proposed rules that require federal contractors providing care for unaccompanied minors to give them access to contraception and abortion if a teen has been raped.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, one of the contractors, said any requirement for providing information about contraception or abortion, even a referral or the arrangement for such services, would violate its members' religious freedom.

The bishops' group said the law provides its members with protection against facilitating abortions.

"For decades, we have provided exemplary services to this vulnerable population without facilitating abortions, and despite ACLU's extreme assertions to the contrary, the law not only permits our doing so, but protects it," said Conference director Kevin Appleby.