Texas city of Moran becomes 72nd ‘Sanctuary City for the Unborn’ in US

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On April 15, the city of Moran (pop. 285), Texas, became the 72nd city in the nation to pass an ordinance outlawing abortion and declaring itself a Sanctuary City for the Unborn (SCFTU). The ordinance was passed in a 4-0-1 vote: four in favor, zero against, with one abstaining. Pastor Cynthia Tollett from Apostolic Gospel Church in Moran was one of many who was in attendance at the crowded city hall on Tuesday night. Pastor Tollett shared, “God is really answering prayers in Moran.” 

Upon hearing of the vote, Pastor Larry Briley from First Baptist Church Moran shared:

It’s such a Blessing to be a part of a community that will stand on God’s Word to protect the lives of unborn children! We may be a small community but praise the Lord we can see God’s hand working in Moran Texas! May God receive all the Glory! Thank you all that voted to stand with God in protecting those that can’t protect themselves!

The vote by the City Council in Moran came just hours after Shackelford County passed a Sanctuary County for the Unborn ordinance. While Moran is one of the three incorporated cities of Shackelford County, the county ordinance only covered the unincorporated area of the county leaving the cities within the county responsible to pass their own ordinances.

District Attorney Isaac Castro, who represents the 259th Judicial District that includes Jones and Shackelford County, celebrated the action by the county, stating, “Proud of all the leaders of Shackelford County who continue the fight to protect the rights of the unborn! I stand with you to save the babies!” 

The six provisions of the Moran SCFTU Ordinance are as follows: (1) prohibit performing an elective abortion and aiding or abetting elective abortions within the city limits of Moran, (2) prohibit elective abortions on residents of Moran – regardless of where the abortion takes place, (3) prohibit abortion trafficking through the City of Moran, (4) prohibit the mailing of abortion-inducing drugs into the City of Moran, (5) prohibit criminal abortion organizations from doing business inside the city limits, and (6) prohibit through or in the City of Moran the transportation and disposal of the remains of unborn children who have been killed by an elective abortion across state lines and carried into Texas by waste management companies. 

The Moran SCFTU Ordinance is enforced the same way the Texas Heartbeat Act is enforced — through a private right of action. The ordinance reads, “Any person, other than the city of Moran, and any officer or employee of the city, has standing to bring and may bring a civil action against any person or entity that: violates any provision” of this ordinance. 

The ordinance also educates about the Thriving Texas Families Program and directs people to the Texas Pregnancy Care Network website for resources available to women experiencing unexpected pregnancies. The area is serviced by The Open Door Pregnancy & Family Resource Center, which has a mobile ultrasound unit that frequents Albany (pop. 2,043), along with centers in Cisco (pop. 4,006) and Breckenridge (pop. 5,868).

The Moran SCFTU ordinance has a six-year statute of limitations and is clear that “a civil action … may not be brought against the woman upon whom the abortion was performed or induced or attempted to be performed or induced in violation of this ordinance, or against a pregnant woman who intends or seeks to abort her unborn child in violation of this ordinance.”

While no litigation against the city is expected over the passage of the ordinance, the City of Moran received a preemptive letter from Attorney Jonathan F. Mitchell, with the former Solicitor General of Texas offering to represent the City of Moran at no cost to the city or taxpayers for any litigation that may arise from the passage of their ordinance outlawing abortion and abortion trafficking. 

Moran will not be the last “sanctuary for the unborn.” More cities and counties across the state are considering passing such measures. Texas residents interested in seeing their local government pass an enforceable ordinance seeking to close loopholes in Texas abortion laws are encouraged to sign the online petition from the Sanctuary Cities for the Unborn Initiative.