Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has recently signed one of the strictest abortion laws that Texas has ever seen. This law took effect at the very start of September. 

These restrictions ban abortion as early as six weeks into the pregnancy or when a “fetal heartbeat” is detected. Medical and legal experts say the term “fetal heartbeat” can be very misleading. For many people, six weeks of pregnancy is still far too early to know if they are even pregnant. This law allows any private citizen to sue any abortion provider. 

After the Supreme Court refused to block these new abortion restrictions in Texas, the U.S. Justice Department sued Texas. This event took place on Thursday, September 9th. The Supreme Court has knocked down previous laws that have tried to restrict abortion or even stop it completely. However, this law relies on private citizens to report and file lawsuits to enforce the rule rather than government officials and law enforcement to enforce it themselves. 

Since this law has taken effect, most abortions seem to have come to a stop in Texas. Several primary abortion clinics have canceled appointments in fear of being overwhelmed with lawsuits. Some clinics have even stopped performing abortions allowed under the restrictions with the same fear. These clinics will have to pay a penalty of at least $10,000 if they are caught violating the regulations.

President Joe Biden and the Biden Administration received backlash from Renae Eze, Gov. Greg Abbott’s press secretary. She states that Biden does not care about protecting the “innocent unborn.” The legislative director for anti-abortion, John Seago, also disagrees with the lawsuit against Texas. He believes that it “lacks legal standing” and should be thrown out. On the other hand, abortion providers and advocates praised the Justice Department for joining the battle to abolish these severe restrictions. 

Legal experts have, however, displayed doubts about how effective this lawsuit will be. The federal case has also joined other legal efforts that aim to overturn and abolish these regulations. Dr. Bhavik Kumar, a medical director for Primary and Trans Care at Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast, states that she hopes all these lawsuits are successful in their attempts to restore access to abortion in Texas and other states. 

As these legal organizations continue to go head to head with their plans and opinions on these restrictions, there is no telling what Texas’s near or far future holds.