The Trump administration has indicated that it will allow Idaho to enforce its strict abortion ban in cases of medical emergencies, a stark departure from the previous administration. Idaho’s largest hospital network, St. Luke’s Health System, stated that the Justice Department plans to dismiss a lawsuit originally filed by the Biden administration, which could happen as soon as Wednesday.
Idaho has one of the most stringent abortion laws in the country, forcing hospitals to send women out of state for emergency care. Dropping the case would mark one of the new administration’s initial moves on abortion, following the appointment of Supreme Court justices by Trump that led to the overturning of the nationwide right to abortion in 2022.
Complaints of pregnant women being turned away from emergency rooms in the wake of the Roe v. Wade decision have increased, with questions arising about the care that can be legally provided. The Supreme Court had issued a narrow ruling allowing hospitals to continue performing emergency abortions, but key legal questions remain unresolved.
The Biden administration had argued that federal law required doctors to perform abortions in emergency situations, conflicting with state bans like Idaho’s. Deputy Attorney General Brian Church of Idaho contended that any changes to state policy should be determined by the legislature, not the courts.
The Trump administration has been granted additional time to change its position on a case involving restrictions on the abortion pill mifepristone. Many Republican-controlled states have imposed new bans or restrictions on abortion since 2022, with some states banning abortion at all stages of pregnancy.
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