Texas sues Aid Access over mailing abortion pills to residents
Texas State Capitol building in Austin, Texas. ( Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call / Getty Images)
AUSTIN, Texas - Texas has filed a lawsuit in Galveston County against the European entities, Aid Access, along with the founders Dr. Remy Coeytaux and Dr. Rebecca Gomperts, accusing them of operating an international abortion-by-mail company that illegally ships abortion-inducing drugs into Texas.
WASHINGTON ,DC - MARCH 26: Aid Access founder Rebecca Gomperts, in black, talks with a demonstrator with a mifepristone pill delivery robot in front of the Supreme Court which is hearing arguments related to FDA v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine T
Illegal abortion-by-mail operations
What we know:
The state alleges that Aid Access knowingly prescribes and mails mifepristone and misoprostol to Texas residents in violation of the Human Life Protection Act (HLPA), which generally prohibits performing or inducing an abortion except in limited medical emergencies.
The petition was filed on February 24, 2026, and seeks temporary and permanent injunctive relief, civil penalties, and attorneys’ fees. The state points to Aid Access' advertisements on their website stating that it provides abortion services in all 50 states, including Texas. The company allegedly maintains a dedicated website instructing users how to obtain abortion pills in Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin, El Paso "or anywhere else in the State of Texas."
Texas’ near-total abortion ban
The State of Texas notes Aid Access claims that they have facilitated more than 200,000 abortions nationwide since 2018.
The lawsuit alleges that between July 1, 2023, and September 30, 2024, Aid Access provided more than 118,000 medication abortion pill packs nationwide, including shipments into states with near-total abortion bans.
Big picture view:
Texas law prohibits knowingly performing or attempting an abortion, with an exception only when a licensed physician determines a pregnant woman has a life-threatening physical condition that places her at risk of death or serious impairment unless the abortion is performed.
The law also bars mailing or delivering abortion-inducing drugs to or from any person or location in Texas.
Practicing medicine without a license in Texas
Photographer: Matthew Busch/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Dig deeper:
The state further alleges the defendants are practicing medicine in Texas without a license, which carries additional civil penalties under the Texas Occupations Code.
The petition cites two recent federal lawsuits in the Southern District of Texas that alleged abortion pills mailed into Texas were used to terminate pregnancies.
- Rodriguez v. Coeytaux
- Davis v. Cooprider & Aid Access
The state argues these cases demonstrate that Aid Access is deliberately targeting Texas residents and continuing to ship abortion medication into the state "in open defiance of Texas law"
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What they're saying:
Ken Paxton is asking the court to issue a temporary restraining order and temporary and permanent injunction barring the defendants from mailing abortion-inducing drugs into Texas or practicing medicine in the state without a license.
"Every unborn child is a life worth protecting, and Texas law reflects that fundamental truth," Paxton said in a statement announcing the lawsuit. "Radicals sending abortion-inducing drugs into our state will be held accountable for ending innocent life."
State "shield laws"
What's next:
The lawsuit marks the latest effort by Texas officials to enforce the state’s abortion restrictions beyond its borders.
This includes against providers operating under so-called "shield laws" in other states that are designed to protect clinicians who prescribe abortion medication across state lines.
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The Source: Information in this article was provided by the Texas Attorney General's Office.