U.S. abortion clinics are fighting to remain open. Since 2010, hundreds of laws regulating abortion clinics have been passed by conservative state legislatures, particularly in the South.
Trapped goes to the front lines of the controversial battle currently being waged over so-called TRAP laws — Targeted Regulation of Abortion Providers — which reproductive rights advocates believe are designed to restrict access to abortion. Told through the eyes of doctors, clinic owners, and staff in Alabama and Texas who are fighting to keep their facilities open, the film reveals the impact of the hundreds of new laws passed since 2011 that set additional standards and regulations for abortion providers. Compliance often requires costly facility modifications or staffing requirements and has resulted in the closure of many clinics.
Proponents of these laws, most of which have been passed in Southern states, maintain that they are necessary to protect women’s health. Opponents believe that the regulations are unnecessary and designed to limit access to abortion. The recently decided U.S. Supreme Court case, Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt, affirmed that these laws are unconstitutional. Trapped includes interviews with the legal team that argued the case before the Supreme.