Trump Administration Ends Biden Lawsuit Forcing Abortions in Idaho
The Trump administration has canceled a lawsuit started by the Biden administration that tried to force Idaho doctors to perform emergency abortions, even though the state has a strict abortion ban. The decision means the federal government will no longer challenge Idaho’s pro-life law.
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The lawsuit, called Idaho v. United States, was dropped after both sides agreed to end it in an Idaho federal court on Wednesday. This stops a Biden-era effort to override Idaho’s “Defense of Life Act,” which only allows abortions to save a mother’s life or in cases of rape or incest. The Biden administration had argued that a federal law, the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA), required doctors to perform abortions in more situations, claiming it was part of “stabilizing care” for emergencies. Idaho disagreed, saying its law already allowed doctors to act in good faith to save a mother’s life.
Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador welcomed the decision, saying the state’s law works fine with EMTALA, which requires emergency rooms to treat both mothers and their unborn children. He called the lawsuit unnecessary interference. The case had reached the U.S. Supreme Court in 2024, but the justices sent it back to lower courts without deciding, and now it’s over.
However, Idaho’s abortion law faces another challenge. In January 2025, St. Luke’s Hospital System sued the state, arguing the ban stops women from getting abortions needed in emergencies. A federal judge temporarily blocked parts of Idaho’s law while that case continues, allowing doctors to perform abortions in more situations, like when a mother’s health is seriously at risk.
Liberty Counsel’s Mat Staver said EMTALA doesn’t force abortions and is being misused by abortion supporters. Idaho insists its law protects both women and unborn children.
