Federal appeals courts on Tuesday affirmed temporary lower court blocks on abortion bans issued in Oklahoma and Texas amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
The US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit blocked surgical abortions, but allowed medical abortions to continue in Texas. The US Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit held similarly, denying the Oklahoma governor’s appeal.
“These emergency abortion bans are an abuse of power and part of an ongoing effort to use sham justifications to shut down clinics and make an end run around Roe v. Wade,” said President and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights, Nancy Northup in her statement.
