Thread by @NBCNews

Some states and cities have a message for women seeking abortions who live in places where it is becoming increasingly restricted: We're here for you.

Reporting by @abedelman.

nbcnews.to/2LmEcPs (1/6)

New York City and Illinois — spurred by a slew of states that have passed laws recently to limit or ban abortion — are taking action to provide women from out of state with financial and other assistance for easier access to abortions. nbcnews.to/2LmEcPs (2/6)

Last month, the NYC Council approved $250,000 for abortions for poor women who live in or travel to the city for the procedure. This is the first time that a municipality has directly allocated money for abortion that could be used for residents from other locales. (3/6)

Illinois Gov. Pritzker, a Democrat, last month signed a law making abortion a "fundamental right" in the state, codifying Roe v. Wade into state law and requiring nearly all insurance plans, both public and private, to cover abortion. nbcnews.to/2LmEcPs (4/6)

3 states surrounding Illinois have passed restrictive anti-abortion laws, and the new law is designed to send a message to women from those states.

"We want it to be clear that Illinois is a beacon for women's reproductive rights,” says Democratic state Sen. Melinda Bush. (5/6)

Abortion rights advocates across the US laud NYC and Illinois' efforts as creating "islands of access" for women in need, in anticipation that Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 Supreme Court ruling that legalized abortion nationally, could be struck down. (6/6) #NBCNewsThreads