New York AG Defends Shield Law Against Texas Abortion Ban Challenge

New York Attorney General Letitia James is actively defending New York's shield law against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's attempts to enforce Texas abortion restrictions in New York courts. The conflict centers on a Texas judgment against Dr. Margaret Daley Carpenter, a New York physician accused of prescribing abortion pills via telehealth to a Texas patient, which Texas seeks to enforce in New York. New York’s shield law, enacted in 2023, prohibits state officials and courts from assisting out-of-state prosecutions related to abortion or gender-affirming care, and James asserts that Texas has no authority to impose its abortion ban in New York. The Ulster County clerk twice refused to file Texas’ enforcement actions, prompting Paxton to sue the clerk, arguing that the shield law violates the Full Faith and Credit and Extradition Clauses of the U.S. Constitution. James’ intervention sets up a critical constitutional showdown over telehealth shield laws and the extent to which states can assert jurisdiction across borders to enforce abortion restrictions. This legal battle highlights the growing national divide between states restricting abortion access and those protecting reproductive rights post-Roe v. Wade.