Texas Attorney General Targets Abortion Pill Distributors

Photo: Eli Hartman/The Texas Tribune

AUSTIN — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has issued cease-and-desist letters to three abortion-related organizations accused of violating state law by shipping abortion-inducing pills into Texas.

The letters, sent to Her Safe Harbor, Plan C, and an affiliate of Aid Access, demand an immediate halt to the distribution of mifepristone and misoprostol. Paxton said the shipments not only break state and federal law but also put women’s lives at risk.

“Texas will not tolerate the murdering of innocent life through illegal drug trafficking,” he declared.

The move builds on Texas’ broader enforcement of its abortion bans, including the Heartbeat Act, and cites multiple statutes such as the 1873 Comstock Act and the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act. Paxton’s office warned that non-compliance could result in prosecution “to the fullest extent of the law.”

State officials estimate one of the targeted organizations mails over 19,000 abortion pills into Texas each year. Paxton argues such practices undermine the state’s pro-life protections and constitute dangerous, unlawful medical activity.

The action follows a December 2024 lawsuit against a New York-based abortion provider, challenging “shield laws” in pro-abortion states that protect pill distribution. Earlier this month, the Texas Senate advanced legislation further restricting abortion pill access.

Pro-life advocates praised Paxton’s latest step as a strong defense of Texas’ laws, while the organizations named in the cease-and-desist orders have not yet responded publicly. The enforcement effort sets the stage for potential legal battles between Texas and out-of-state abortion pill distributors.

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