The Trump administration is asking a federal court to pause a Louisiana lawsuit seeking to end access to abortion pills by mail.
The Food and Drug Administration wants the case put on hold while it conducts its own review. The request could further anger anti-abortion activists already frustrated that Trump has not reversed Biden-era rules allowing mail-order abortion drugs.
But the FDA has suggested that its review could lead to a nationwide ban on medication abortions.
“Don’t be fooled: the Trump administration isn’t defending medication abortion — it’s just defending its own authority to restrict access to mifepristone if, when, and how it sees fit,” said Julia Kaye, senior staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union’s Reproductive Freedom Project. “The state politicians attacking Mifepristone in court and the Trump administration officials ordering a new FDA review are two sides of the same coin — and both are wrong on the law, the science, and public opinion."
Louisiana has charged multiple doctors for prescribing Mifepristone, including several out-of-state physicians. Doctors could face up to 15 years in prison for prescribing the drug.
RELATED STORY | Federal review of abortion pill sparks fears of 'backdoor' nationwide ban
Mifepristone is typically prescribed with another medicine called misoprostol. The drugs are used to end a pregnancy through 10 weeks of gestation.
In 2024, Gov. Jeff Landry signed a law saying these drugs are now considered controlled substances, which makes it illegal for many general practitioners to prescribe them.
Medication abortions account for about two-thirds of all pregnancy terminations in the U.S., according to the Guttmacher Institute, a sexual and reproductive health research group. In states where abortion is banned, it's often the only way for women to safely terminate pregnancies due to its availability on online and mail-order pharmacies and telehealth appointments.
RELATED STORY | Concerns grow over continued restriction of abortion rights in America
