AG Paxton Sues Out of State Abortion Pill Provider

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit against an out of state abortion by mail provider accused of illegally sending abortion-inducing drugs into Texas. The lawsuit against Delaware nurse practitioner Debra Lynch and her pro-abortion organization, Her Safe Harbor, marks the latest enforcement of Texas’ pro-life laws and underscores the state’s commitment to protecting unborn children and the health of mothers. 

Under Texas law, abortion is prohibited except in extremely limited medical emergencies, and it has been illegal for years to mail or distribute abortion-inducing drugs such as mifepristone and misoprostol into the state. The Human Life Protection Act and related statutes make it unlawful for anyone to “aid or abet” an abortion or unlawfully practice “medicine” without a Texas license. 

According to the lawsuit, Lynch has been prescribing and shipping abortion pills from Delaware directly to women across Texas, including in Beaumont, Fulshear, Tomball, Houston, and El Paso. Her actions have been characterized by Texas officials as knowingly violating state law. The complaint alleges Lynch and her network are part of a broader effort by out-of-state abortion advocates to target Texas residents and undermine the state’s carefully enacted protections for unborn children and their mothers. 

Why This Matters for Texas Families

For Texans who cherish life and family, this legal action is more than a lawsuit; it’s a defense of the most vulnerable. Abortion-inducing drugs carry serious health risks for unborn babies and their mothers, especially when prescribed and mailed without proper medical oversight. By enforcing state law, Paxton’s office is working to protect women from dangerous and unregulated medical practices that disregard both Texas law and patient safety. 

In addition to the statutory ban, Texas lawmakers strengthened enforcement tools last year through legislation that gives private citizens the right to sue those who manufacture, distribute, or ship abortion medications into the state. This “private right of action” is similar to successful provisions in other Texas pro-life laws and serves as a critical mechanism to deter harmful conduct by out-of-state actors. 

Testing Out of State “Shield Laws”

This lawsuit also comes at a moment when blue states with so-called “shield laws” are attempting to block out of state legal action against abortion providers, creating a legal battleground over jurisdiction and medical regulation. States like Delaware and New York have enacted laws they claim will protect providers from being sued or prosecuted by states with pro-life abortion laws. Paxton’s case against Lynch, and earlier actions against New York providers, could test how far these shield laws extend when they conflict with Texas’ public policy. 

A Broader National Fight

What’s happening in Texas is part of a larger national struggle over abortion pills and federal versus state authority. After the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, states have been left to set their own abortion policies. Some states are pushing back against federal regulatory decisions that expanded access to medication abortion, while others are asserting their sovereign right to enforce their own laws within their borders. 

For families across Texas, this legal action represents a commitment to defending innocent life, enforcing state law, and ensuring harmful medical practices are not forced upon Texas communities by out of state actors. In a time of deep legal and moral contention across the country, Texas continues to stand firmly for the protection of the unborn and the rule of law.