Justice Department to Challenge Texas Abortion Law, Vows to Protect Abortion Seekers and Providers

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement Monday that the Justice Department will be looking for ways to challenge Texas' abortion law while protecting abortion seekers and providers.

Garland said that those seeking and providing the said reproductive health services will be protected under a federal law known as the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, according to an ABC News Go report.

The FACE Act prohibits hindering someone from having a reproductive health service through physical obstruction or threat and intimidation.

Justice Department officials are also talking with U.S. attorneys in Texas, as well as Federal Bureau of Investigation field offices in the state when it comes to the implementation of federal provisions.

Garland said that they will not tolerate violence against those seeking to obtain or provide reproductive health services, including physical obstruction or property damage, according to The Hill report.

Texas Abortion Law

A week after a Texas law imposing a near-complete ban on abortion was implemented, abortion clinics in the state had emptied.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Supreme Court had remained silent on the state's decision of banning abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy, which is a time before many women even know they are pregnant.

The law also allows private citizens to sue abortion providers and those who help someone get an abortion, according to an NPR report.

The newly imposed law also makes no exception for those victims of rape or incest.

Other states have tried to implement the same ruling but failed to do so due to challenges from abortion-rights groups and blockage from federal courts.

Texas Right to Life has created a "whistleblower" website where people can submit anonymous tips about anyone they believe to be violating the law.

John Seago with Texas Right to Life said that the lawsuits are not against the women, rather it would be against those making money off of the abortion and the abortion industry as well.

However, a family medicine doctor working for Planned Parenthood in Houston said that it creates a lot of uncertainty for patients and providers.

Despite that, Dr. Bhavik Kumar said that he will comply.

Dr. Ghazaleh Moayedi said that patients understand that the abortion they are having this week is something that they would not be able to have next week.

Abortion in Texas

The state of Texas has remained deeply divided on the topic of abortion, with 32 percent of Texans said they wanted to see more restrictive anti-abortion laws in the state.

Meanwhile, 37 percent wanted less restrictive laws, according to a poll taken in February by the University of Texas and The Texas Tribune.

Many churches also sponsor related ministries.

There was a recent calendar of events published by an anti-abortion website, including rallies and retreats for men who suffer from "repressed grief, anger, and guilt" of terminating a pregnancy, according to The New York Times report.

Protesters and anti-abortion "sidewalk counselors" are constantly outside Planned Parenthood South Texas.

This article is owned by Latin Post

Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Texas Anti-Abortion Law Faces Backlash From Texans, Neighboring States - from NBC News