WASKOM, Texas (KTAL/KMSS) –  The Waskom City Council passed an ordinance Tuesday night declaring themselves a “sanctuary city of the unborn” to prevent an abortion clinic from ever opening in the city.

Waskom is the first city in Texas to do this. There are no abortion services in Waskom, so supporters call it a preventive measure.

It was an abnormally packed house inside Tuesday’s city council meeting as community and church members came out to show their support for declaring Waskom a sanctuary city for the unborn.

“We decided to take things into our own hands, and we’ve got to do something to protect our cities and to protect the unborn children,” said Right To Life with East Texas Director Mark Lee Dickson.

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.

The final vote approving the move was met with cheers from the public.

In response to a possible lawsuit, the people of Waskom said they still support moving forward because they say God will take care of them. 

Advocates of the ordinance say they got the idea for this ordinance from Rosewell, New Mexico, which passed a similar one earlier this year.