With hands in back
United States: According to Texas Attorney General statements on Monday, officials charged a midwife because she allegedly performed illegal abortions as well as operated clinics illegally throughout the Houston area.
The Texas law has implemented stringent restrictions on abortion following the Supreme Court decision that eliminated federal abortion rights in 2022, as reported by Reuters.
Strict Texas Abortion Laws Lead to Arrest
Law enforcement officers arrested Maria Margarita Rojas as they filed a request to obtain a temporary restraining order for clinic shutdowns. The statement from the attorney general indicates they possess the power to demand monetary penalties of at least $100,000 for each violation.
“Texas law protecting life is clear, and we will hold those who violate it accountable,” Attorney General Ken Paxton said.
Rojas operates numerous facilities which employed unlicensed staff who pretended to be medical professionals with licenses according to the official statement.
Unlicensed Clinics and Fake Medical Credentials
The three locations identified by the attorney general, which is run under the name Clinicas Latinoamericanas, did not provide a response to Reuters regarding this situation.
Texas makes abortions legal only when medical professionals determine a woman faces death or severe impairment of a major body system, as reported by Reuters.
A New York doctor faced Louisiana state charges in January after giving abortion medicine to a teen.
Texas Abortion Laws and National Context
The United States Supreme Court chose to reverse the 1973 Roe v. Wade precedent, which set women’s Constitutional right to choose abortion. The Supreme Court ended in June 2022 the landmark decision from 1973 that granted women’s constitutional right to abortion.
