A Chicago facility is now offering abortions in the third trimester — making Illinois one of the few places in the country where unborn children can be aborted up to approximately 34 weeks, the Chicago Tribune reported.
Hope Clinic, a long-standing abortion provider based in southern Illinois, opened a second location June 2 in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood. It is now the only independent facility in the Midwest to perform abortions at such a late stage in pregnancy.
The organization announced its new location on Instagram with enthusiasm, noting the expansion of its services.
“Hope Clinic is now open in Chicago, IL, expanding our care through all trimesters! (And OMG we couldn’t be more excited),” the post read.
The same account listed reasons for late-term abortions ranging from fetal diagnoses and health complications to personal change of mind: “They just don’t want to be pregnant.”
Illinois law currently allows abortion past fetal viability — generally considered to be between 24 and 28 weeks — only if a physician determines it is necessary to protect the life or health of the mother, including mental health. The law does not specify a gestational cutoff.
Dr. Erin King, Hope Clinic’s chief medical officer, said the facility “absolutely” follows the law and aims to provide as many abortions as possible within those parameters.
Pro-life leaders in Illinois have voiced alarm, the Chicago Tribune reported.
“Almost everyone recognizes the brutality of an abortion that late in pregnancy,” Eric Scheidler of the Pro-Life Action League said.
Mary Kate Zander of Illinois Right to Life noted that the law’s broad mental health exemption leaves the door open to virtually unrestricted abortion late in pregnancy.
“The overarching issue is that Illinois law is intentionally vague,” Zander said. “Illinois state legislators don’t want to say that third trimester abortion is legal in Illinois. … But the reality is, [they] want women to be able to come to Illinois in the third trimester and get an abortion.”
The facility is expected to commit eight to 10 abortions per week, primarily in the second and third trimesters, according to the Chicago Tribune. King expects more than half of the patients to come from states with more protective laws. In 2024, Illinois recorded about 35,000 abortions provided to out-of-state residents, the highest total in the nation, according to the Guttmacher Institute.