Samuel Alito Shields Abortion Pill Access in New Supreme Court Order

The Supreme Court on Monday temporarily restored broad access to the abortion pill mifepristone, blocking lower-court restrictions that threatened to significantly change how abortion is provided across the United States.

In an order signed by Justice Samuel Alito, the court allowed existing federal rules to remain in place for now, letting patients obtain mifepristone at pharmacies or by mail without requiring an in-person doctor visit. Those policies had been in effect for several years before a federal appeals court imposed new limits last week.

The action preserves access to the drug while the justices consider emergency appeals filed by the manufacturers of mifepristone, who asked the court to intervene.

Medication abortions account for the majority of abortions in the U.S. and typically involve a combination of mifepristone and a second drug, misoprostol. The availability of the pills has softened the impact of abortion bans enacted by Republican-led states following the Supreme Court's 2022 decision overturning Roe v. Wade.

Louisiana sued to restrict access to mifepristone, arguing that the drug's availability undermined the state's abortion ban. In contrast, several Democratic-led states have adopted laws aimed at protecting providers who prescribe abortion pills through telehealth to patients in states with bans.

Alito's order will remain in effect for at least another week as both sides submit additional filings and the court weighs whether to take further action.

This is a breaking news article. Updates to follow.

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