The Trump administration has initiated significant legal actions on abortion rights, moving to withdraw from a lawsuit defending emergency abortions in Idaho while backing South Carolina’s effort to block Planned Parenthood from Medicaid funding.
According to court filings, the administration’s decision signals a firm stance on restricting access to abortion-related healthcare.
Trump Administration Shifts Stance on Emergency Abortions
The US Department of Justice has announced plans to drop its defence of emergency abortions in Idaho, a case initially pursued by the Biden administration.
The lawsuit challenged Idaho’s near-total abortion ban, arguing that it conflicted with federal law requiring hospitals to provide necessary emergency care, including abortion in life-threatening cases.
According to legal documents filed by St Luke’s Health System, the largest hospital network in Idaho, the case could be dismissed as early as Wednesday.
The hospital previously reported that the state’s abortion restrictions had forced doctors to send critically ill pregnant patients out of state for care that was once available locally.
The decision to step back from the case follows a US Supreme Court intervention last year, which temporarily allowed hospitals to continue performing emergency abortions. However, unresolved legal questions remain, and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has yet to issue a final ruling.Â
Idaho officials argue that their state law already permits abortion in life-threatening emergencies and that federal authorities were attempting to broaden these exceptions beyond their original intent.
South Carolina Seeks to Block Medicaid Funding for Planned Parenthood
Alongside its Idaho decision, the Trump administration has moved to support South Carolina’s legal battle to restrict Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood. The state, led by Republican Governor Henry McMaster, argues that taxpayer money should not support clinics affiliated with abortion services, even for non-abortion healthcare.
Under existing Medicaid rules, patients have the right to choose any qualified provider for reproductive and sexual health services. While federal law already prohibits the use of government funds for abortion procedures, South Carolina contends that any funding to Planned Parenthood indirectly supports abortion access.
The Trump administration has filed a request to join upcoming Supreme Court arguments in April, seeking ten minutes to present its position in defence of South Carolina’s law.
The state is represented by Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative legal group involved in multiple cases challenging abortion and LGBTQ+ rights.
According to Deirdre Schifeling, chief political and advocacy officer at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), these moves contradict the administration’s previous statements about staying out of abortion access debates.
She argued that the latest legal actions demonstrate a willingness to prioritise ideology over healthcare, stating, “The Trump administration has made clear they would let women die rather than get an abortion.”
With 12 US states currently enforcing near-total abortion bans and several others imposing strict limits, legal battles over access to reproductive healthcare continue to shape national policy.
