The U.S. Supreme Court has intervened in a drawn-out Texas abortion battle by blocking parts of a law that would have forced over a dozen state abortion clinics to close, The New York Times reported.
On Tuesday the nation's highest court issued an order against the law - which requires doctors who perform abortions to have admittance privileges at local hospitals among other strict conditions - while a lower court considers an appeal filed against it.
The Supreme Court order, which was unsigned, struck down the admittance requirement for clinics in El Paso and McAllen, Texas. The order also set aside mandatory state clinic upgrades that would have cost millions.
Pro-choice advocates praised the justices' order, however temporary, that prevents hundreds of thousands of women from having to travel over 150 miles to the nearest abortion clinic.
"Tomorrow, 13 clinics across the state will be allowed to reopen and provide women with safe and legal abortion care in their own communities," Center for Reproductive Rights President Nancy Northup told The NY Times. "This fight against Texas' sham abortion law is not over."
The controversial law, passed last year even after Senator Wendy Davis' famous 13-hour filibuster, requires state abortion clinics adhere to regulations for "ambulatory surgical centers," such as staffing and medical supplies. All but eight out of nearly 40 abortion clinics would have been forced to shut down.
The law made its way through the court system, with the Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit upholding the law. It ruled the challengers did not prove a "large fraction" of abortion-seeking women would face an unconstitutional burden like they claimed, The NY Times reported.
"It is undisputed that the vast majority of Texas residents (more than 83 percent) still live within a comfortable driving distance (150 miles)" of an abortion provider, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbot said.
Yvonne Gutierrez, executive director of the political action committee for Planned Parenthood Texas, said the Supreme Court reprimanded Abbot with its ruling.
"Today the Supreme Court ruled that Greg Abbot cannot force nearly a million Texas women to drive over 300 miles to access their constitutionally protected right to safe and legal abortion," Gutierrez told the newspaper.
Abbot spokeswoman Lauren Bean said they "will continue to defend the law, just as we defend all state laws when they are challenged in court."
