Washington D.C., Oct 19, 2017 / 11:50 am
In a controversial decision, a U.S. district judge ruled that the government must facilitate an abortion for an undocumented teenager under federal custody in Texas. The federal government has appealed the ruling, asking for a stay on the judge's order.
On Oct. 18, U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan ruled that a 17-year-old from Central America, known only as "Jane Doe," must be allowed to get an abortion. The girl has been in federal custody since early September, and is living in a south Texas shelter operated by the Office of Refugee Resettlement – an agency of the Department of Health and Human Services.
Currently 15 weeks pregnant, the girl has secured outside funding for the abortion, and has obtained state permission to get the abortion – a requirement for any minor in Texas who does not have parental permission for an abortion procedure.
The ACLU has alleged that the government is utilizing an "unconstitutional veto power" by not allowing Doe to obtain an abortion, and has filed a suit against HHS. The administration has countered that the government has "exercised a legitimate choice to refuse to facilitate an abortion," and argues that the girl could leave the country voluntarily to obtain the procedure. It also argues that since the girl is in the care of the Office of Refugee Resettlement, it has the right to determine what is in the best interest of the teenager.