This blog originally appeared at Click 2 Houston.

Cochran County, situated along the border with New Mexico, becomes one of the few rural Texas counties to enact such ordinances. Advocates for abortion rights argue that these new policies may not hold up legally.

MORTON — Commissioners in this rural Texas county that borders New Mexico on Thursday gave their unanimous blessing to a legally dubious policy that effectively outlaws travel on its local roads to seek an abortion.

In Cochran County, located approximately one hour west of Lubbock, the five-member panel sided with Mark Lee Dickson, the founder of the ‘sanctuary cities’ initiative. They concurred that the ordinance was necessary to complement the efforts initiated by the state’s nearly complete ban, commonly known as Senate Bill 8.

“This ordinance would close some of the loopholes that exist in this fight,” Dickson said. “It’s saying the roads, and the airport, could not be used for abortion trafficking into New Mexico.”

County Commissioner Eric Silhan introduced the ordinance to the county’s governing body, saying it’s a way to stand for “the people who can’t speak for themselves.”

Inside the county commissioners’ chambers, there were over a dozen individuals, all seemingly in favor of the ordinance. Judy Deavours, the former mayor of the nearby town of Whiteface, voiced her support. In 2020, while Deavours was in office, Whiteface became one of the first towns in the High Plains to pass the sanctuary city ordinance.

“We have to finish what we started,” Deavours said. “This is just wrapping it up, and if you vote for this, we’ll have what we need.”

The recently implemented travel ordinance in Cochran County establishes consequences for individuals knowingly using the county’s roads to transport someone seeking an abortion. Importantly, it specifies that the mother involved in this situation should not face prosecution or penalties under any circumstances. Similar to the sanctuary city ordinance, enforcement of this act would rely on private civil lawsuits.

Cochran County now joins a limited number of rural Texas counties adopting such ordinances. Notably, it’s the first county situated adjacent to a state where abortion remains legal. Critics, including abortion-rights advocates and legal experts, argue that these policies are unenforceable and unconstitutional.

“This is an effort, one by one by one, to create a statewide ban against travel to other states, literally creating a reproductive prison in the state of Texas,” Wendy Davis, a former state senator who is now a senior adviser at Planned Parenthood Texas Votes, said on Wednesday.