Abortion Clinic Faces Eviction in Bristol Amid Expanding Local Restrictions
Bristol, Virginia, a city of around 44,000 people located on the Virginia-Tennessee border, has become a crucial access point for abortion services in the South since abortion became illegal in Tennessee in 2022. Bristol Women's Health, a clinic offering abortion procedures legally in Virginia, now faces an eviction case that could force it to relocate.
The Bristol Circuit Court is set to hear the eviction case on 22 December, centered on a lease renewal that would allow the clinic to remain for six more years. If evicted, the clinic may struggle to find a nearby suitable facility, according to the clinic's owner, Diana Derzis. A prior legal ruling by Judge Sage Johnson dismissed landlords' claims of concealment; the judge noted that the clinic’s abortion services were openly stated and easily found online.
The clinic's location makes it vital for abortion seekers: since the reversal of Roe v. Wade, about 155,000 people crossed state lines for abortion last year, including over 9,200 who traveled to Virginia coordinated by the State Line Abortion Access Partnership (SLAAP).
Meanwhile, anti-abortion activism is increasingly encroaching into local law, with groups like Victoria Cobb’s Family Foundation pushing for zoning-based restrictions and Texas pastor Mark Lee Dickson promoting enforcement of the Comstock Act. Nationwide, 93 local ordinances restricting abortion have been passed, and a Planned Parenthood clinic in Lubbock, Texas, was closed due to such pressures.
Locally, tensions are high around the debate. Bristol’s planning director Jay Detrick described the situation as more stressful than typical municipal disputes such as parking issues, while the city attorney has stated that restricting a medical facility is beyond the city’s authority. Dickson’s Comstock Act ordinance has not yet been considered by the Bristol Council, but Dickson remains optimistic about its prospects.
If the clinic is forced to move, the loss could shrink abortion access options for millions in the Southern region.
