The Department of Justice submitted an emergency motion late Tuesday seeking a temporary restraining order or preliminary injunction on Texas’ ban on abortions after six weeks.
Why it matters: The action marks an escalation by the Biden administration in its challenge on the constitutionality of the GOP-led state’s restrictive new law, after the DOJ filed a lawsuit last week following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision, in a 5-4 vote, to allow the ban to remain in place.
What they’re saying: The DOJ argues in its filing, submitted to the U.S. District Court in Austin, Texas, that the law, known as Senate Bill 8, was passed “to prevent women from exercising their constitutional rights.”
- “This relief is necessary to protect the constitutional rights of women in Texas and the sovereign interest of the United States,” the statement added.
Read the emergency motion, via DocumentCloud:
Editor’s note: This a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.