In a Monday court filing obtained by CNN, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall (R) characterized the act of traveling out-of-state for abortion as amounting to a “criminal conspiracy.” The filing comes as part of an ongoing lawsuit brought against Marshall by healthcare providers in the state who say he violated their constitutional rights when he threatened criminal investigations for organizations that help pregnant people travel for abortion.

Attorneys for Marshall wrote that those who help facilitate abortion out-of-state—including helping people pay for the costs of lodging and transportation across state lines—are engaging in criminal activity. “The conspiracy is what is being punished, even if the final conduct never occurs,” Marshall’s filing states. “That conduct is Alabama-based and is within Alabama’s power to prohibit.”

Read more

• Warner Bros. CFO Thinks You Deadbeats Have Been on a Free Ride for Way Too Long

• Cyberpunk 2077’s 2.0 Update Feels Like A Different Game

• Police Shooting Of Sovereign Citizen Pulled Over For Fake License Plate Ruled Justified

• LeBron James, wife and 2 associates named in federal PED investigation

• MGM Grand Cyberattack Allegedly Caused by 10-Minute Phone Call

Marshall’s court filing is especially concerning as people are already facing criminal charges and legal repercussions, not just for their own pregnancy outcomes or abortions, but for helping other people get care. In Nebraska, the mother of a teen girl who was sentenced to 90 days in jail for having a self-managed abortion was charged with concealing a death and false reporting for helping her daughter access abortion pills. And in Texas, women who helped their friend get abortion pills were sued by their friend’s ex-husband under a state law that allows people to sue anyone who helps someone access abortion for at least $10,000.

As states with abortion bans double down on their efforts to surveil and possibly criminalize interstate abortion travel, Democratic governors in some states are moving to protect abortion seekers: In Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) recently signed legislation to protect the license plate data of people coming to Illinois for abortion care—should they face investigation in their home state. Illinois has become a top destination for abortion for out-of-state travelers and a haven for the health service in the Midwest.

We always knew that post-Roe, pregnancy would become a possible crime scene vulnerable to state surveillance and criminalization. Now, Republicans like Marshall are leading the charge to threaten those who help people access abortion, too.

More from Jezebel

• Everything We Saw At Nintendo's Mario-Stuffed September Direct

• Studio Behind EA's Magical FPS Game Lays Off Half Its Staff After Low Sales

• Russell T. Davies Responds to Concerns Doctor Who Is 'Erasing' Jodie Whittaker

• Starfield Contains A Magic Mud Puddle That Will Make You Rich

• ‘Credible’ Death Threat Causes Unity To Close Two Offices

Sign up for Jezebel's Newsletter. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Click here to read the full article.