PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — A series of medical clinics in Maine that cater to low-income individuals is set to cease its primary care services this Friday, citing funding cuts imposed by the Trump administration on abortion service providers.

Maine Family Planning, which oversees 18 clinics throughout the state, reports that while abortions constitute a minor fraction of their services, the majority of their work involves cancer screenings, testing for sexually transmitted diseases, and providing contraception. The organization states that these primary care services must be halted due to the administration’s decision to restrict Medicaid funding for abortion providers, including the larger entity, Planned Parenthood.

This defunding decision is causing patients in Maine to be separated from their healthcare providers, explained George Hill, the president of Maine Family Planning. He noted that over 600 patients utilized their primary care services last year.

“Informing these patients that we’re unable to continue their care has been heart-wrenching,” Hill remarked. “Especially since some of them might struggle to find new providers and could end up neglecting their healthcare needs.”

Maine Family Planning primarily serves impoverished and rural regions within the state, typically receiving around $1.9 million annually in Medicaid reimbursements, as noted in a statement from the organization. Patients were alerted to the impending closure of primary care services about a month in advance. The network currently serves approximately 8,000 patients overall.

Maine Family Planning fought the halting of Medicaid dollars in federal court, but it suffered a setback in August when a federal judge ruled against restoring funding during the network’s ongoing lawsuit against the Trump administration. The network appealed to a higher court, and that legal fight is still ongoing.

The Center for Reproductive Rights filed the case in federal court on behalf of the network, and said Friday it will continue to fight to restore the funding. Nancy Northup, president of the Center for Reproductive Rights, called the loss of funding for Maine Family Planning “part of a larger strategy to shut down clinics even in states like Maine that protect the right to abortion.”