US

Court Rules Illegal Immigrant Teenager Can Get An Abortion

Ivan Vlozhanin (Shutterstock)

Daily Caller News Foundation logo
Grace Carr Reporter
Font Size:

A U.S. federal appeals court ruled Tuesday that an illegal immigrant minor can get an abortion after weeks of back and forth in state and federal courts, Politico reports.

In a 6-3 ruling, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned its Friday decision to put a hold on the case until Oct. 31, and ruled that the illegal immigrant must be taken to an abortion clinic rather than a crisis pregnancy center, according to Politico.

The girl, who crossed the border illegally on Sept. 7 and is 15 weeks pregnant, will no longer have to voluntary depart the U.S. for an abortion, as the judge’s decision means that the United States will provide the service for her. It is not yet evident whether the abortion will be free of cost or not.

This decision comes after the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed an emergency petition on Sunday asking the court to reconsider delaying its Friday decision to postpone a final ruling on the pregnant illegal immigrant’s case, according to USA Today.

“The government is causing her irreparable harm” by forcing her to remain pregnant against her will, plaintiff attorney Rochelle Garza said during oral arguments on Friday. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is “not putting an obstacle in her path, but declining her an abortion,” the defense attorney responded.  (RELATED: Ruling On Whether Illegal Teen Can Get Abortion In America Hangs In The Balance).

The final ruling comes after D.C.’s Court of Appeals temporarily blocked a judge’s ruling last week to allow the girl to have an abortion, according to NPR. The stay on the order came after HHS filed an appeal when Judge Tanya Chutkan ruled in favor of the teen.

Follow Grace on Twitter.

All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.