It was easy for activists to unite around ending abortion when the most pressing concern was overturning Roe v. Wade. Now, with many of the movement’s leaders warning that the cause is in dire straits, pro-life activist groups are planning the next steps.
As of today, only 13 states have abortion bans in effect, all with exceptions for the life of the mother, and 10 states have gestational limits of varying lengths. California is one of 18 states with legal protection for abortion up to fetal viability, which is around 22 to 24 weeks. The final nine states, as well as Washington, D.C., have legal protection for abortion up to birth.
Because the United States allows the full spectrum of legal protections for unborn babies, many critics have warned that the system leaves the door open for abortion across the board.
“[Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA)] is essentially determining the policy of [Gov. Greg Abbott’s (R-TX)] state and [Gov. Ron DeSantis’s state (R-FL)] because [abortion drugs] are flowing into those states and undermining their pro-life laws, killing unborn children at all sorts of gestational ages,” Kelsey Pritchard told the Washington Examiner in an interview. Pritchard is the communications director for Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, a lobbying group focused on pro-life issues.
Although the largest loss of life from abortions comes from the abortion pill, another major issue is “abortion tourism.”
Roughly 142,000 mothers traveled across state lines to receive abortions in 2025, with about 4,000 of them heading to California to take advantage of the state’s shield laws.
California has strong shield laws that provide legal protection for individuals traveling to the state to undergo an abortion. A key part of this legislation is the requirement that California courts not honor external lawsuits or subpoenas concerning abortion tourists.
Just as President Abraham Lincoln famously said that the country was destined either to allow slavery everywhere or abolish it, if abortion is allowed in any state, it is effectively legal across the board.
Speaking about how states have vastly different abortion laws, Pritchard said, “That approach doesn’t work when it comes to human rights movements.”
“I think a lot of people see [outlawing abortion] as something that’s far off and not something that we can do immediately,” Pritchard said. “But that’s why we need an ‘Abraham Lincoln candidate’ to step up and rally people and open people’s eyes.”
Pro-life groups have been sounding the alarm about the monumental task the coalition faces. New abortion trends show that the number of abortions has increased since Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Clinic — likely due to the ease of access to abortion-inducing drugs and the messaging around them.
“The abortion industry has told women that [the abortion drug] is safer than Tylenol,” Laura Echevarria, communications director for the National Right to Life Committee, told the Washington Examiner. “It’s not like a miscarriage; it’s not safer than Tylenol. We know of women who have died from taking mifepristone and misoprostol for an abortion.”
According to the Pew Research Center, online abortion pill sales make up a majority of the roughly 1 million abortions in 2025 and have increased over the last few years.
Echevarria said the key to understanding the rising number of abortions is misinformation about the nature of abortion procedures.
“People tend to think that abortion is only legal in the first 12 weeks and that abortion is restricted only in the most extreme circumstances after that,” Echevarria said. “The abortion industry has also really gone into a lot of effort to push the narrative that abortions late in pregnancy only happen in the most dire of circumstances, and that’s not true either.”
With the availability of the abortion pill, it is almost irrelevant that any states have outlawed abortion. Some states are only now waking up to prohibit the purchase of the pill, nearly four years after Dobbs and 26 years after the pill first received approval from the Food and Drug Administration.
Only four states that do not have a total abortion ban require an in-person doctor visit to receive a prescription for the abortion pill, the Washington Examiner reported. This means that, for 33 states in the Union, a telehealth visit is all it takes for a parent to get the go-ahead to kill their child.
As long as abortion is nearly or completely legal in 27 states, and as long as there is no federal oversight of abortion drugs shipped across state lines, abortion is still de facto licit in the U.S. For public sentiment to truly shift toward the pro-life cause, activists need to continue focusing on both cultural and legislative battles.
Pritchard told the Washington Examiner, “What we’re really looking for in 2028 is a modern-day Abraham Lincoln. We’re looking for someone who aspires to fulfill the Declaration of Independence, its promise of the right to life for all, and who will lead the nation in establishing a national protection for the unborn.”
As the search for the “Abraham Lincoln candidate” for the pro-life cause continues, fractures are growing within the coalition. Some who call themselves “abolitionists” oppose any legislation or candidate that does not fully commit to ending abortion, even if it would secure a smaller victory. Others are called “incrementalists” because they believe in using smaller steps to win over the country over time.
The path to victory for the pro-life movement rests on its ability to reeducate the culture to believe in the worth of life. Both SBA and the NRLC believe that changing the culture is intertwined with changing politics, which is a slow process.
“There are some people who argue against incrementalism, but it works,” Echevarria said. “It’s a generational thing. I’m not the first generation that’s been working to overturn Roe. There are giants in the pro-life movement who came before me, and I know it’s probably going to be another generation or two after me who are still going to be working on the state level.”
“Education and impacting the culture is a key part of winning this fight, and there are so many excellent pro-life groups that are focused on that. I think we’re seeing some good momentum on that end,” Pritchard said.
She also noted that pursuing legislative victories will help guide the cultural discussion on the morality of abortion.
“You can’t just [fight for culture or politics]. You have to do both,” Pritchard said. “Politics and the law can lead culture — and it often does lead culture — and lead to changes in public perception.”
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With emerging abortion trends in mind, the fight to end the barbaric practice hinges on public support. Focusing on the narrative and discussion around the cause is how pro-life advocates can succeed.
As pro-life Americans, we are fighting a three-front war for the lives of our children. We have to win over a culture that values a false understanding of freedom over life; we have to educate citizens on the gruesome truth behind abortion; and we have to find and vote for candidates who will fight a crusade for life. By taking careful, deliberate, and unified steps, America has a chance to do more than end abortion. It can become a culture of life.