A federal judge granted the Justice Department’s request to halt S.B. 8, a Texas law that effectively banned abortion in the state and incentivized citizens to enforce it. However, even though S.B. 8 has been stalled, abortion providers can be sued retroactively for any care they provide while the injunction is in effect. The State of Texas has already appealed the ruling. 

The Center is challenging S.B. 8 in a separate case, WholeWoman’s Health v. Jackson. Several sources quoted a statement from Center President and CEO Nancy Northup on the temporary order, saying that the Center’s clients “hope to resume full abortion services as soon as they are able, even though the threat of being sued retroactively will not be completely gone until S.B. 8 is struck down for good.” Northup added, “The cruelty of this law is endless.”

Read more about the recent ruling: 

• New York Times: Federal Judge Pauses Strict Texas Law Banning Most Abortions
• ABC News: Texas appeals judge’s temporary injunction barring enforcement of abortion law
• USA Today: Federal judge blocks Texas restrictive abortion law, says women faced ‘irreparable harm’
• USA Today: Texas to appeal judge’s temporary ban on restrictive abortion law: What we know
• Rolling Stone: Texas Abortion Ban Halted — For Now
• BBC: Texas abortion: Judge temporarily blocks enforcement of law
• The Texas Tribune: Texas’ near-total abortion ban is temporarily blocked by a federal judge, spurring the state to quickly appeal
• Austin American-Statesman: Federal judge blocks Texas law banning most abortions
• WGN9: Federal judge orders Texas to suspend new abortion law, state quickly appeals ruling
• WRBL: Federal judge orders Texas to suspend new abortion law, state quickly appeals ruling

Read more about Whole Woman’s Health v. Jackson.