Photo: Jordan Vonderhaar via Getty Images
A federal judge will hold a hearing on Oct. 1 to consider temporarily blocking enforcement of Texas' restrictive abortion ban after an emergency request from the Biden administration.
Why it matters: The hearing comes after the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit last week against Texas over the new law, which bans nearly all abortions and awards at least $10,000 to anyone who successfully sues a person that helps a pregnant person access an abortion after six weeks.
- The DOJ argued in its emergency request that the law was passed "to prevent women from exercising their constitutional rights."
- "This relief is necessary to protect the constitutional rights of women in Texas and the sovereign interest of the United States," the statement noted.
The big picture: Legal battles have been playing out across the state since the law took effect.
- A Texas state judge issued an injunction on Monday blocking anti-abortion group Texas Right for Life from enforcing the state's new law against Planned Parenthood in Texas.
- President Biden said the law "blatantly violates" the constitutional right established by the Supreme Court's 1973 decision on Roe v. Wade.
- "My administration is deeply committed to the constitutional right established in Roe v. Wade nearly five decades ago and will protect and defend that right," he said.