Court Grants HHS Time To Release Pregnant Girl So She Can Obtain An Abortion Outside Its Custody
The court blocked an earlier ruling to allow the girl to get an abortion immediately. Now the government has 11 days to release the girl into outside custody, or the matter will return to the courts.
The Associated Press:
DC Court Blocks For Now Immigrant Teen's Access To Abortion
A Washington appeals court is blocking for now an abortion sought by a pregnant 17-year-old immigrant being held in a Texas facility, ruling Friday that the government should be given time to try to release her so she can obtain the abortion outside of its custody. (10/20)
The New York Times:
Undocumented 17-Year-Old Must Delay Abortion, Court Rules
The decision by the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit could put her health at risk, doctors say, especially now that she is about 15 weeks pregnant. “While first-trimester abortion is over 10 times safer than childbirth, the risks gradually increase in the second trimester to those of childbirth,” Dr. Nancy L. Stanwood, the chief of family planning at the Yale School of Medicine, said in an email. Forcing her to wait, she added, “harms her physical health, period.” (Caron, 10/21)
The Associated Press:
Immigrant Teen Seeking Abortion Asks Court To Reconsider
Attorneys for a pregnant teen being held in a Texas immigration facility are asking a federal appeals court to reconsider its decision not to order the government to let her obtain an abortion. Lawyers for the 17-year-old on Sunday asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia to hold another hearing before all the judges on the court. (10/23)
Politico:
Teen In Immigration Detention Takes Abortion Fight To Full Appeals Court
"Every additional day she must remain pregnant against her will places a severe strain on J.D., both physically and emotionally. Every additional week the government delays her abortion increases the risks associated with the procedure," the teen's attorneys wrote in the petition for en banc review filed with the D.C. Circuit just after 10 P.M. Eastern Time Sunday. "In a matter of weeks, J.D. will no longer be able to get an abortion at all, and the government will have forced J.D. to have a child against her will." (Gerstein and Rayasam, 10/22)
WBUR:
Appeals Court Sets Terms For Abortion For Teen Immigrant
"If a sponsor is secured and J.D. is released from HHS custody to the sponsor, HHS agrees that J.D. then will be lawfully able, if she chooses, to obtain an abortion on her own pursuant to the relevant state law," the judges wrote. But they added if a sponsor is not secured and the minor is not released to a sponsor by Oct. 31, then the matter will return to the courts. (Gonzales, 10/20)
The Associated Press:
Q&A: Abortion Case Involving Immigrant Teen Stirs Emotions
The Trump administration has fought in court to prevent a 17-year-old held in a Texas facility for unaccompanied immigrant children from having an abortion. ... Here's a look at some of the background to the dispute. (10/20)
