Tara Shaver, president of Abortion Free New Mexico, said that the state's rising abortion rates are due to insufficient protective laws. She emphasized her group's mission to put faith into action by providing resources and guidance to pregnant women at the Jan. 29 Save The Babies Rally.

"Between 2020-2023 we had a 565% increase in out-of-state abortions," said Shaver, Spokeswoman. "Now more than ever do we have a remarkable opportunity to put our faith into action, to embrace women that travel far and wide to come here to do the unthinkable. This is what it looks like to empower pregnant moms to embrace motherhood."

At the rally, Shaver said abortion rates in New Mexico surged by 353% in 2023, with over 14,000 out-of-state women traveling to the state for the procedure. She attributed this increase to the lack of parental involvement laws, informed consent requirements, and waiting periods. Shaver also said that the University of New Mexico plays a central role in the state's abortion industry by training and recruiting abortion providers.

According to Source NM, the New Mexico Supreme Court unanimously struck down local ordinances restricting abortion, ruling that they violate state law and overstep legislative authority. The court cited several state laws, including the Reproductive and Gender-Affirming Health Care Freedom Act, in its decision to preempt the ordinances.

In 2021, there were 11.6 abortions per 1,000 women ages 15 to 44 in the U.S., as reported by the Pew Research Center. The number of abortions has generally declined since the 1980s, though there were slight increases in the late 2010s and early 2020s. Medication abortions using pills like mifepristone and misoprostol accounted for 56% of all abortions that year.

Shaver is a full-time pro-life missionary who has worked alongside her husband Bud Shaver since 2010 to make New Mexico "Abortion Free." Their efforts are backed by Operation Rescue and have been covered by major national news outlets.