US Department of Justice spokesman Anthony Coley announced on Friday that the US government will ask the Supreme Court to block the pro-life law passed in Texas, while there is still debate in the judiciary on the theme.
A week ago, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, one of the most conservative in the US, reinstated the law in the state, which is governed by the Republican Party, just two days after a judge temporarily blocked it.
The court made this decision in response to an appeal by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton against the decision of a federal district judge.
Gazeta do Povo’s Beliefs: Defending Life from Conception
On Thursday (14), it was decided that a new hearing should be held in early December, so that the matter is resolved. Until then, law enforcement is maintained.
Regardless of the appeals court’s final decision, the case is more likely to end up again in the Supreme Court, which weeks ago turned down a request to rule the law unconstitutional, despite admitting that one of the parties raised doubts about the constitutionality of the text.
Texas law allows individuals, individually, to file civil lawsuits against anyone who helps a pregnant woman to have an abortion and even offers rewards of up to $10,000 (R$54,500) for each complainant, in case of a court victory.
This system has so far allowed Texas authorities to avoid taking responsibility for law enforcement, as enforcement falls to private citizens rather than the leaders who pushed for the veto.
This legal loophole allowed the law to go into effect, despite expressly contradicting the 1973 court decision that legalized abortion in the United States, known as Roe v. Wade. The Texas veto bans abortion as soon as the fetal heartbeat can be detected, around six weeks of gestation.