Health Care — Texas AG arrests abortion providers

Click in for more news from The Hill

View Online Health Care Health Care The Big Story  Texas AG makes multiple arrests over alleged illegal abortions Ken Paxton this week announced the arrests of three people for allegedly providing abortions in the state, where nearly all abortions are outlawed and punishable with jail and fines. Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman via AP Paxton, a Republican who has been Texas's AG for a decade, announced Monday the arrest of certified nurse midwife Maria Margarita Rojas.   Rojas is accused of running a network of clinics in the Houston area that "unlawfully employed unlicensed individuals who falsely presented themselves as licensed medical professionals to provide medical treatment," according to Paxton's office.    Rojas's case is one of the first to challenge the illegal operation of abortion clinics since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022.    Jose Manuel Cendan Ley was arrested Monday and Rubildo Labanino Matos was arrested earlier in March. Ley, an employee of Rojas, has been accused of performing abortions illegally and for practicing medicine without a license along with Rojas. Matos was arrested in connection to the investigation.   Abortion has been almost entirely banned in Texas since a so-called "trigger law" was enacted after the 2022 overturning of Roe v. Wade.   Abortions are only allowed in the state if they are needed to save the life of the pregnant woman. Under Texas law, a person who provides an illegal abortion could face up to 20 years in prison and fines of up to $100,000.   "Individuals killing unborn babies by performing illegal abortions in Texas will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law, and I will not rest until justice is served," Paxton said in statement.     "I will continue to fight to protect life and work to ensure that anyone guilty of violating our state's pro-life laws is held accountable."    These arrests are the latest attempt by Paxton to go after abortion providers. Late last year, Paxton filed a lawsuit against New York doctor Margaret Carpenter for allegedly prescribing and sending abortion medication to a Texas woman.     Paxton argued in the suit that Carpenter violated Texas law by providing abortion medication across state lines. A Texas judge also fined Carpenter $100,000 in February for allegedly prescribing the medication.   Legal experts are unsure how Texas will be able to prosecute Carpenter since New York is one of more than a dozen states with a shield law in place to protect abortion providers from such legal action. Welcome to The Hill's Health Care newsletter, we're Joseph Choi and Alejandra O'Connell-Domenech — every week we follow the latest moves on how Washington impacts your health. Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here. Essential Reads  How policy will be impacting the health care sector this week and beyond: FDA launches effort to review infant formulas The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a new initiative Tuesday titled “Operation Stork Speed” aimed at reviewing infant formula ingredients and expanding available options. According to the FDA, the goal of its new initiative is to ensure the “quality, safety, nutritional adequacy, and resilience of the domestic infant formula supply.” In 2022, the U.S. infant formula supply was hampered following …  Full Story Appeals court partially overturns Ohio ban on transgender care for minors An Ohio appeals court declared Tuesday that a portion of a 2023 law banning gender-affirming medical care for minors is unconstitutional, ruling that a lower court erred in deciding the law does not infringe on the rights of parents or violate parts of the state's constitution. A three-judge panel for Ohio's 10th District Court of Appeals reversed an August judgment that allowed House Bill 68 to take effect after …  Full Story Texas, New Mexico measles outbreak grows to more than 300 The measles outbreak impacting Texas and New Mexico has now exceeded 300 cases, surpassing the number of measles cases reported in all of the U.S. last year. According to the latest update from the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS), 279 measles cases have been reported in the state. In neighboring New Mexico, 38 cases have been confirmed as of Tuesday, totaling 317 cases across both states. In all of 2024, the …  Full Story The Hill event  Health Next Summit, Wednesday, March 26, Washington, D.C. & streaming nationwide ...  Join the waitlist In Other News  Branch out with a different read: H5N1 bird flu spread 'unprecedented,' UN agency warns A United Nations food agency warned that the continued spread of the H5N1 bird flu virus is an unprecedented food security risk that requires a coordinated global response. In a briefing held on Monday, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations cited the loss of hundreds of millions of poultry around the world and the increasing spillover into mammals as key concerns stemming from the spread of the H5N1 … Full Story Around the Nation  Local and state headlines on health care: Colorado lawmakers may route license plate revenue away from the disabled (The Colorado Sun)  Wyoming health dept says Trump not the reason $8.4 million for vax ads ending (Cowboy State News)  Officials say northern Michigan 'just as vulnerable' to measles outbreak (WDET)  What We're Reading  Health news we've flagged from other outlets: 'Segregated facilities' are no longer explicitly banned in federal contracts (NPR)  Kennedy's alarming prescription for bird flu on poultry farms (The New York Times)  Private equity 'gobbling' up care facilities for people with disabilities (Stat)  What Others are Reading  Most read stories on The Hill right now: Watch live: NASA astronauts return to Earth after 9 months on International Space Station NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore are expected to return to Earth Tuesday afternoon after more than nine months on the International … Read more 5 takeaways from Trump-Putin call on Ukraine ceasefire President Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin held a highly anticipated phone call Tuesday, after Ukraine last week agreed to a U.S.-proposed 30-day … Read more What People Think  Opinions related to health submitted to The Hill: What to do about $1.1 trillion in improper Medicaid payments  The Republican Medicaid cuts will hurt everyone, not just those in need    You're all caught up. See you tomorrow!  Check out The Hill's Health Care page for the latest coverage. Like this newsletter? Take a moment to view our other topical products here 📩 Privacy Policy  |  Manage Subscriptions  |  Unsubscribe  400 N Capitol Street NW Suite 650, Washington, DC 20001 Copyright © 1998 - 2025 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved.

If you believe this has been sent to you in error, please safely unsubscribe.