Brownfield Texas Considers Sanctuary Metropolis for the Unborn Ordinance
On Thursday, December 4, 2025, the West City Council of Brownfield, Texas (pop. 9,779), considered an “Ordinance Outlawing Abortion, declaring Brownfield a Sanctuary City for the Unborn.” The ordinance, which would have further prohibited abortion and abortion trafficking in Brownfield was tabled for a future meeting. Had the Brownfield City Council voted to approve the measure, the city 40 miles southwest of Lubbock (pop. 266,878) would have been the 86th city in the nation and the 69th city in Texas to pass an ordinance banning abortion.
Present at the council meeting was Brownfield native and former Big Spring Mayor Shannon Thomason. After the meeting, Thomason shared with Life News, “Brownfield isn’t just a place on the map for me — it’s home. I grew up there, and the people, their faith, and their community spirit helped shape the person I became. Those roots stayed with me when I later served as Mayor of Big Spring, which — until Lubbock adopted its ordinance — was the largest Sanctuary City for the Unborn in Texas.” Thomason continued, “That’s why I’m grateful to the Brownfield City Council for bringing the Sanctuary City for the Unborn ordinance forward and giving it the thoughtful, careful consideration it deserves. I respect their decision to workshop the details, and I look forward to continuing the conversation. More than anything, I look forward to the day my hometown of Brownfield joins the many Texas communities that have chosen to stand for life.”
Cities in the area to have passed such ordinances include: Lubbock (pop. 266,878), Levelland (pop. 14,582), Wolfforth (pop. 7,700), Slaton (pop. 6,235), Shallowater (pop. 2,940), Abernathy (pop. 2,839), Morton (pop. 1,608), Sundown (pop. 1,397), Whiteface (pop. 449), New Home (pop. 326), and Ackerly (pop. 245). Counties in the area to have passed such ordinances covering the unincorporated area of their county include: Lubbock County (317,561), Dawson County (pop. 12,130), and Cochran County (pop. 2,547),
If passed, the proposed Brownfield Sanctuary City for the Unborn ordinance would: (1) prohibit performing elective abortions and aiding or abetting elective abortions within the city limits (2) prohibit elective abortions on residents of the city – regardless of where the abortion takes place, (3) prohibit abortion trafficking, (4) prohibit abortion-inducing drugs, (5) prohibit criminal organizations from doing business inside the city limits, and (6) prohibit the transport and disposal of the remains of unborn children killed by an elective abortion by abortion providers outside of the State of Texas from being brought through or disposed of in the city.
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The proposed Brownfield Sanctuary City for the Unborn Ordinance would be enforceable the same way the Texas Heartbeat Act is enforceable, through a private enforcement mechanism allowing private citizens to file civil lawsuits against anyone in violation of the law.
The proposed Brownfield Sanctuary City for the Unborn Ordinance is identical in substance to the last 28 ordinances passed at the local level and addresses the problem of abortion-trafficking recognized by state leadership. In August 2023, Senator Charles Perry (SD-28), Representative Dustin Burrows (HD-83), and eighteen other Texas Senators and Representatives penned a letter in support of cities and counties passing ordinances outlawing abortion across the State of Texas. The letter read: “Currently there are over 50 political subdivisions in Texas which have passed local ordinances prohibiting abortion within their jurisdictions. As elected officials who voted for state legislation allowing these local actions, we are thrilled to see this wave of pro-life action at the local level and hope to see these ordinances continue to spread across our state – even in a post-Roe Texas. While it is true that abortion is outlawed in the entire State of Texas, from the point of conception, our work is far from over. Right now, throughout the State of Texas, women are being trafficked across our borders by abortion traffickers funded by abortion trafficking organizations still operating in our state. As a result, these women are being abused and traumatized by abortion across our Texas–New Mexico border and sent back to Texas for our cities and counties to deal with the aftermath taking place in our homes, our schools, our churches, and our hospitals.” The letter continued, “The Sanctuary for the Unborn ordinances seek to protect these institutions by putting safeguards in place to protect men, women, and their children for years to come. These ordinances, which seek to close as many loopholes as possible, do not penalize women who seek or undergo abortions, but places the penalty on the party who most deserves it – the abortionist and the industry profiting from the unjust procedure, including abortion traffickers.”
Since the beginning of 2025, 21 political subdivisions have passed ordinances outlawing abortion including: Hopkins County (pop. 38,784), Howard County (pop. 34,860), Shelby County (pop. 24,192), Camp County (pop. 13,094), Wolfforth (pop. 9,600), New Boston (pop. 4,686), Clyde (pop. 4,051), Shackelford County (pop. 3,105), Hooks (pop. 2,769), Dickens County (pop. 1,725), Big Sandy (pop. 1,343), Como (pop. 758), Talco (pop. 492), Avery (pop. 462), Avinger (pop. 371), Lueders (pop. 346), Annona (pop. 288), Moran (pop. 285), Douglassville (pop. 229), Mullin (pop. 196), and Marietta (pop. 115).
Brownfield is the largest city in Terry County. In the 2024 Presidential Election, 79.56%(2,663) of those who voted in Terry County voted for the Republican candidate for President of the United States. The majority of those voters are voters who hold strong pro-life beliefs. During the 2018 Republican Party Primary, voters in the Republican Party Primary had the opportunity to vote on proposition #7. This proposition gave voters the chance to voice their opinion if they were “In Favor” or “Against” the following statement: “I believe abortion should be abolished in Texas.” In Terry County, out of 1,096 votes, 77.79% (805) voted in favor of the pro-life proposition. During the 2022 Republican Party Primary, voters in the Republican Party Primary had the opportunity to vote on proposition #5. This proposition gave voters the chance to voice their opinion if they were “In Favor” or “Against” the following statement: “Texas should enact a state constitutional amendment to defend the sanctity of innocent human life, created in the image of God, from fertilization until natural death.” In Terry County, out of 1,606 votes, an even greater 87.24% (1,401) voted in favor of the pro-life proposition.
The City of Brownfield has received a letter from Attorney Jonathan F. Mitchell, who committed to represent the City of Brownfield at no cost to the city or taxpayers for any litigation that may arise from the passage of its ordinance outlawing abortion and abortion trafficking. Mitchell is one of America’s leading constitutional attorneys, arguing before the Supreme Court of the United States in high-profile cases like Trump v. Anderson and Garland v. Cargill.
Citizens who want to see their city or county pass an ordinance further outlawing abortion are encouraged to sign the online petition at the Sanctuary Cities for the Unborn website.
LifeNews Note: Mark Lee Dickson lives in Texas and is the founder of the Sanctuary Cities for the Unborn Initiative.
