- Justice Department said Monday it will not tolerate violence against women trying to get an abortion
- Garland said his agency government would use the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act
- The DOJ is still exploring all options to challenge the Texas law, Garland said
- They have been in contact with the FBI and U.S. attorneys in Texas to plan enforcing federal regulations
- Republicans have accused the Biden administration of overreach while Democrats are scrambling to pass an abortion bill in Congress
The Justice Department said Monday that it will not tolerate violence against anyone to obtain an abortion in Texas as federal officials continued to explore options to challenge the new state law that bans most abortions.
Attorney General Merrick Garland said the Justice Department would ‘protect those seeking to obtain or provide reproductive health services’ under a federal law known as the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act.
Garland said in a statement that federal prosecutors are still urgently exploring options to challenge the Texas law.
He said the Justice Department would enforce the federal law ‘in order to protect the constitutional rights of women and other persons, including access to an abortion.’
Democrats are also scrambling to find ways to counter the law, including a new bill in Congress, while Republicans have accused Biden of federal overreach by trying to undermine the Supreme Court’s decision last week not to overturn the new law.
Liberals are also threatening to boycott Texas over their abortion law, with Portland considering banning all imports from and travel to the state.
The new Texas law prohibits abortions once medical professionals can detect cardiac activity, usually around six weeks – before some women know they´re pregnant.
The federal law, commonly known as the FACE Act, prohibits physically obstructing or using the threat of force to intimidate or interfere with a person seeking reproductive health services.
The law also prohibits damaging property at abortion clinics and other reproductive health centers.
Courts have blocked other states from imposing similar restrictions, but Texas’ law differs significantly because it leaves enforcement up to private citizens through lawsuits instead of criminal prosecutors.