Justice Department Says It Will Ask Supreme Court To Block Texas’ Abortion Law

The U.S. Department of Justice will ask the Supreme Court to put a hold on a Texas law that bans abortions after a fetal heartbeat can be detected, according to a Justice Department spokesman.

“The Justice Department intends to ask the Supreme Court to vacate the Fifth Circuit’s stay of the preliminary injunction against Texas Senate Bill 8,” Coley said in a Friday statement, according to The Washington Post.

The Supreme Court allowed the Texas law to go into effect Sept. 2 in a 5-4 vote, The New York Times reported.

Federal appeals court rules to keep Texas abortion ban in effect after Justice Department sought to block its enforcement https://t.co/iiYDioL3Ou

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) October 15, 2021

A federal judge in Austin, Texas, ordered the state to suspend the law Oct. 6, describing the restrictions as a deprivation of a constitutional right, the Associated Press reported. The U.S. Court of Appeals of the Fifth Circuit then put the judge’s order on hold to allow the law to stay in effect, scheduling a December hearing to review the law, according to the Post. (RELATED: Merrick Garland Cites Unexplained Threats Of Violence To Involve Authorities In Culture War Issues)

The heartbeat bill is now LAW in the Lone Star State.

This bill ensures the life of every unborn child with a heartbeat will be saved from the ravages of abortion.

Thank you @SenBryanHughes, @ShelbySlawson, & #txlege for fighting for the lives of the unborn in Texas. pic.twitter.com/aolhUKM9tv

— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) May 19, 2021

The Texas Heartbeat Act bans abortions after a fetal heartbeat can be detected, with exceptions in place for medical emergencies, empowering private citizens to sue abortion clinics and individuals who help women obtain abortions.

A heartbeat may be detectable at around six weeks after conception, according to the American Pregnancy Association. Critics of the Texas Heartbeat Act, including Planned Parenthood, argue that “most” women do not yet know that they are pregnant at six weeks.

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