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Court says Trump can’t block undocumented teens from obtaining abortions

The decision is a huge relief to some.

Photo of Tess Cagle

Tess Cagle

A pro-choice abortion protest outside of the Supreme Court

The Trump administration cannot block pregnant, undocumented immigrant teenagers in U.S. custody from obtaining access to abortions until a lawsuit on their behalf is decided,  according to a U.S. District Court judge in Washington D.C.

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Judge Tanya Chutkan granted the American Civil Liberties Union’s request to have the lawsuit considered a “class action,” so the ruling that was filed on Friday will apply to every pregnant, undocumented minor seeking an abortion while in U.S. custody, rather than on a case-by-case basis.

The ACLU—which has represented four pregnant women against the Trump administration since October—called the ruling a huge relief.

“Obviously we are relieved,” Brigitte Amiri, the lead lawyer on the case, told BuzzFeed News on Friday. “This is a huge relief for the young women in … custody who would otherwise be subjected to the Trump administration’s attempt to force them to bring to [the] pregnancy to term.”

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Chutkan also granted the ACLU’s request to bar the federal government from interfering with aspects of the affected minors’ health care, including access to a judicial bypass if needed, medical appointments related to pregnancy, non-directive options counseling, abortion counseling, an abortion, or other pregnancy-related care.

Folks on Twitter—including Amiri and her colleagues— used the #JusticeforJane hashtag to celebrate the ACLU’s win.

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https://twitter.com/Meyers1122/status/979898376136339456

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Chutkan’s decision took effect immediately, so the Trump administration next would have to appeal the judge’s order, bringing the case to the appeals court for a decision, if it plans to continue fighting the ACLU.

 
The Daily Dot