A federal appeals court has overturned a judge’s ruling that would have allowed an undocumented pregnant teen to get an abortion. The unaccompanied minor is currently being held at an immigration detention center near Brownsville.
The case centers around a 17 year old undocumented pregnant teen labeled “Jane Doe.” She attempted to get an abortion after being detained by federal immigration agents in Texas. This sparked a fierce legal argument over whether undocumented minors should be able to have an abortion while in the US.
The ACLU sued, claiming the federal government was forcing the girl to carry the pregnancy to term.
ACLU’s Brigitte Amari is the plaintiff’s attorney in the case.
“Even though she met the requirements in Texas for minors access to abortion, the federal government would not transport her to the abortion facility," Amari says.
A judge issued an emergency order on Wednesday, requiring Doe to be transported from her shelter to an abortion clinic. Less than 24 hours later the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia temporarily halted that ruling. A hearing on the matter has been set for Friday morning.
