COVID-19 Litigation

The Center for Reproductive Rights has been working to protect access to abortion care during the COVID-19 pandemic. We’ve filed several lawsuits challenging state orders to limit abortion access and have developed numerous resources addressing the unique reproductive health issues during the pandemic.

For updates on each case, click on the individual state tabs to the left.

The flurry of lawsuits filed by the Center for Reproductive Rights and its partners have succeeded in protecting access to abortion care during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The lawsuits challenge orders by anti-abortion lawmakers blocking or limiting access to abortion care during the pandemic, arguing that the states are imposing unconstitutional bans on abortion by claiming that abortion is non-essential health care. The Center joined partners in filing the suits in March and April 2020 challenging orders in Texas, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Louisiana. Partner organizations also filed cases in Alabama, Iowa and Ohio.

“These emergency abortion bans are an abuse of power and part of an ongoing effort to use sham justifications to shut down clinics and make an end run around Roe v. Wade,” said Nancy Northup, president and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights. “These same states have tried to ban abortion access for years; no one should be fooled that this is warranted by the current crisis. We will use every legal means to ensure that abortion care remains available during this critical time.”

Because of the legal actions by the Center and its partners, abortion care was able to resume in every state.

Click on the navigation to the left for details about each COVID-19 lawsuit.

The Center for Reproductive Rights has developed several fact sheets, newsletters and other resources about access to reproductive health care during the COVID-19 pandemic in regions throughout the world. In Europe, we’ve also established the COVID-19 SHRH Pro Bono Clearinghouse, comprised of global law firms that will provide free legal advice to civil society organizations and health professionals on issues of abortion, contraception, maternal health care, and assisted reproduction during the COVID-19 public health crisis.