NY Attorney General James Defends Abortion Shield Law Against Texas Challenge

New York Attorney General Letitia James has intervened in a legal battle to defend New York's abortion shield law, which protects abortion providers from out-of-state enforcement efforts, particularly from Texas. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued Ulster County Clerk Taylor Bruck for refusing to enforce a Texas judgment against Dr. Margaret Carpenter, a New York physician accused of providing abortion telemedicine to a Texas resident, violating Texas’ abortion ban. James argues that Texas has no authority to impose its abortion restrictions in New York and that the shield law safeguards New Yorkers from out-of-state attempts to punish legal reproductive care providers. The case highlights a broader conflict between states with opposing abortion laws and raises the possibility of the Supreme Court weighing in on the constitutionality of shield laws and telehealth abortion services. Paxton has criticized James, accusing her of politicizing the issue, while James vows to fight attempts to roll back reproductive rights and protect health care access. This dispute reflects ongoing national tensions over abortion access and interstate legal conflicts following the overturning of Roe v. Wade.