Trump DOJ abandons Biden-backed bid to mandate Idaho emergency abortions – Washington Examiner
The Trump administration is preparing to withdraw from a important legal battle concerning Idaho’s strict abortion laws, which could allow the state to enforce its near-total abortion ban, particularly regarding emergency abortions. Just before a crucial court hearing, the Department of Justice (DOJ) informed St. Luke’s Health System, Idaho’s largest hospital network, of its intent to dismiss a lawsuit initially filed by the Biden administration in 2022. This lawsuit argued that idaho’s law violated the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA), which mandates that hospitals provide necessary medical care, including abortions in emergency situations.
St. Luke’s Health System, anticipating this withdrawal, had sought an emergency order to safeguard physicians’ ability to perform abortions in medical emergencies, fearing that lifting existing injunctions could create legal confusion and force doctors to transport patients out of state for care. The decision to withdraw from the lawsuit signifies a significant policy change for the Trump administration and raises concerns about patient care in Idaho,given that the state has one of the most stringent abortion regulations in the country.
Following the overturning of Roe v.Wade, instances of pregnant women being denied emergency medical care have increased, and the rollback of federal support might exacerbate the situation in Idaho. The future of federal guidance on emergency abortions under EMTALA remains uncertain, as conservative groups are advocating for President Trump’s administration to rescind existing policies.
Trump DOJ abandons Biden-backed bid to mandate Idaho emergency abortions
The Trump administration is signaling plans to back out of a yearslong legal fight over Idaho’s near-total abortion ban, allowing the state to enforce restrictions on emergency abortions just one day before a major court hearing.
The Department of Justice informed St. Luke’s Health System, Idaho’s largest hospital network, that it would move to dismiss the lawsuit originally filed by the Biden administration, according to a court filing from the hospital on Tuesday.
On Monday afternoon, an attorney with St. Luke’s received an email from DOJ attorneys stating their intent “to dismiss its claims in the above case, without prejudice,” according to a court filing on Tuesday.
The decision marks a sharp policy reversal and one of the administration’s first major actions on abortion since President Donald Trump’s return to office.
St. Luke’s, which sued the state in January anticipating the federal government’s withdrawal from the case, had requested an emergency restraining order ahead of a key hearing Wednesday to ensure doctors can continue performing abortions in medical emergencies while the court weighs the case. The hospital argued that lifting the injunction, even temporarily, would create confusion for medical staff and force doctors to airlift patients out of state.
“Even a short period without an injunction would require Idaho hospitals to train their staff about the change in legal obligations, distracting them from providing medical care to their patients,” St. Luke’s lawyers wrote in their filing.
Idaho has one of the strictest abortion bans in the country, with limited exceptions for life-threatening cases. The Biden administration sued the state in 2022, arguing that its enforcement of the law violated the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, or EMTALA, a federal statute requiring hospitals to provide stabilizing care, including abortion, when necessary to protect a patient’s health.
The case, which reached the Supreme Court last year, was sent back to lower courts without a ruling on its merits.
The Trump administration has not yet indicated whether it will revoke Biden-era guidance requiring hospitals to provide emergency abortions under EMTALA, but conservative groups such as the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 have urged Trump to rescind the policy.
SUPREME COURT PUNTS ON IDAHO EMERGENCY ABORTION CASE
Since Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022, complaints about pregnant women being denied emergency care have surged nationwide. Idaho doctors previously reported flying women out of state for care due to legal uncertainty. If the administration drops the case, Idaho hospitals may soon face similar dilemmas again.
The Washington Examiner contacted the DOJ for response.
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