In a new twist to sanctuary city laws, a small town in Texas passed a resolution and an ordinance to become a sanctuary city for the unborn. The town of Waskom, Texas is located on the border of Louisiana and has a population of about 2,200. The city council voted Tuesday night to become the first in the nation’s “Sanctuary City for the Unborn”.

It was modeled after the City of Roswell, New Mexico’s resolution declaring itself a sanctuary city for the unborn but Waskom takes it one step further. Waskom bans abortions within city limits. Organizations that perform abortions or assist in obtaining them such as Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice Texas become criminal organizations under the ordinance. The idea was presented to the city council by Mark Lee Dickson, director of Right to Life of East Texas, who voiced frustration that state legislators in Austin haven’t passed any “meaningful legislation that protects unborn life.”

“This is why we had to take things into our own hands and take it to the grassroots level,” Dickson told Fox News. “Due to the recent pro-life legislation in Louisiana being so strong and due to the risk of an abortion clinic one day moving to Waskom, Texas, we decided to do something to protect the city, which was passing an ordinance outlawing abortion in Waskom, Texas.”

Dickson added that in the past an abortion clinic was looking to move to Waskom, which would have served a 200-mile radius, making it an abortion destination.

In the city, known as “The Gateway of Texas,” Dickson said city officials would not make it a destination for abortion but instead focus on the Bible verse Amos 5:15, which says, “Hate evil, and love good, and establish justice in the gate.”

Rusty Thomas, the national director of Operation Save America, said that Waskom’s resolution sends a message to Washington, D.C. that says, “Hey, Washington, D.C., you can do whatever you want to do. For this town, we’re saying no babies will be aborted. Not under our watch.”

The resolution and ordinance passed unanimously by five members of the city council. All of them are men. There are currently no abortion services available in Waskom. Supporters call it a preventative measure. They want to take their battle to the Supreme Court, even though that would come at a huge financial cost for such a small town.

Before the council unanimously passed the ordinance, Mayor Jesse Moore warned citizens they will face a lawsuit that the city cannot afford to lose. But it’s all in an effort to make it to the Supreme Court and win.

“Most likely we will end up getting sued if this passes. It could go to the Supreme Court,” said Moore.

“We don’t have the possibility of millions of dollars to take it to that level. We can’t pay those types of attorney fees,” said Alderman Jimmy Dale Moore.

The ordinance includes exceptions for rape, incest and if the woman’s life is in danger, which they said they needed to include in order to make it to the Supreme Court in an effort to overturn Roe v. Wade.

“If we go to the Supreme Court, we’ll have to pay the other side of the attorney fees so you was it, Mr. Jacob there, ya’ll save your nickel and pennies. We may need them,” Moore said.

This action comes after Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards signed a fetal heartbeat law, outlawing abortion after a fetal heartbeat is heard on May 30. Louisiana’s law is much like recent laws passed in Mississippi, Kentucky, Ohio, and Georgia. Alabama took it farther and banned abortion in the state, hoping to challenge Roe v Wade at the Supreme Court.

The Waskom City Council just unanimously approved a resolution to become a “sanctuary city for the unborn.” Outside pro-life groups say the town is the first in the state of Texas to do so. @KSLA pic.twitter.com/1YqOZqb9ZI

— Blane Skiles (@BlaneSkiles) June 11, 2019