Judge Temporarily Blocks Louisiana's Abortion Ban

A Louisiana judge in New Orleans issued a temporary restraining order Monday  blocking officials from enforcing the state’s newly activated abortion ban, restoring access to the procedure until further notice. 

New Orleans Civil District Judge Robin Giarrusso put a hold on the ban while she weighs a lawsuit brought by a group of abortion providers and reproductive rights organizations fighting Louisiana’s new abortion crackdown, which went into effect after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade last week.

Monday’s ruling means abortions may resume at Louisiana’s three last abortion clinics, which had been forced to immediately cease providing the procedure when the Supreme Court issued its ruling on Friday.

“People who need an abortion right now are in a state of panic,” Nancy Northup, president and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights, one of the plaintiffs, said in a statement. “We will be fighting to restore access in Louisiana and other states for as long as we can. Every day that a clinic is open and providing abortion services can make a difference in a person’s life.”

Kathaleen Pittman, administrator of the Hope Medical Group for Women, another plaintiff, added: “We are committed to this monumental legal challenge — not to perpetuate an endless political battle, but to ensure our patients’ wellbeing and so that they may draw strength from our dedication to this fight.”

Hope Medical Group for Women in Shreveport is one of Louisiana’s three remaining abortion clinics. The others are located in Baton Rouge and New Orleans.

The judge has set another hearing for July 8. 

Louisiana’s Republican Attorney General Jeff Landry did not immediately return a request for comment. In remarks last week, he vowed that anyone attempting to overturn the state’s abortion ban will be “in for a rough fight.”