WASHINGTON — A 17-year-old Central American girl obtained an abortion in Texas on Oct. 25 after a court battle over issues of abortion and the rights of foreigners in the U.S.
The girl, identified as Jane Doe in court documents, was detained at the U.S.-Mexico border after crossing into the U.S. illegally. A medical examination revealed the pregnancy.
The girl, who was held in a federally funded Texas shelter, tried to schedule an abortion but was blocked by the Trump administration, which asserted that the government should not be forced to facilitate abortions for unaccompanied minors in federal custody after crossing the border illegally.
The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals sided with the girl, ending her individual challenge to the policy. The broader question of whether the federal government may continue to block abortions for undocumented teens in its custody is still pending. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said he and other state attorneys general are prepared to defend the administration’s position.
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