US Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito temporarily halted a lower court ruling that imposed restrictions on the pill. Abortion rights advocates welcome the move.
The US Supreme Court on Friday temporarily halted a lower court ruling that tightened restrictions on abortion pill mifepristone.
US Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito issued an "administrative stay" to give the court more time to deliberate and allow parties in the case to submit their legal arguments.
Medication abortion, or abortion with pills, account for more than half of abortions in the US.
Alexis McGill Johnson, the president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, welcomed the move, adding: "Let's be clear: No court should have been able to restrict access in the first place."
Attorney General Merrick Garland announced Thursday he would ask the Supreme Court for an emergency order to stop the lower court ruling, which significantly constraints mifepristone access, from taking place.
The Justice Department has argued that the lower court orders "will upend the status quo and scramble the complex regulatory regime governing mifepristone."
