Shield laws have become a hot topic since the abortion pill Mifepristone became the major means for women, particularly in abortion-restricted states, to terminate their pregnancies. Shield laws work to protect medical personnel or helpers in pro-abortion states from being prosecuted when they assist in abortions or provide abortion access to women in states where it is restricted or outlawed. As of February 2025, 18 states, along with the District of Columbia, have abortion shield laws in place.
Texas and Louisiana have filed charges, and at least one court has ruled against Dr. Margaret Carpenter from New York who allegedly supplied women with the abortion pill via telemedicine. Instead of Carpenter being appropriately extradited to face these charges, the New York AG is ignoring these states’ requests. These two cases, as well as Rodriguez v. Coeytaux, involving a Texas man suing a California doctor for the wrongful death of his girlfriend from incorrect usage of the abortion pill which Dr. Remy Coeytaux allegedly prescribed, are the new theater in this pro-life war. That is why 15 attorneys general, including Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, have written a letter to Congress asking for the shield laws to be superseded and for Congress to enact laws requiring extradition and criminal prosecution of such parties. As 1819 News reported:
Congress should ‘consider taking action preempting abortion shield laws’ in blue states, according to Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall.
Marshall and 15 attorneys general from red states said in a letter to U.S. House and Senate leadership on Tuesday that ‘shield laws’ passed in Democrat-run states were hindering pro-life laws in other states.
Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin is the lead signatory on this letter. He explained in an X post:
Since the Dobbs decision in 2022, Arkansas and many other states have outlawed abortion, but we have faced a problem of abortion pills such as mifepristone, which are taken to induce chemical abortions, being shipped into our state illegally. The law is very clear on this issue, and regardless of how one feels about the law, it is vital that the law be upheld.
That’s why today I was joined by 15 attorneys general in sending a letter to Congress asking them to consider whether they can act at the federal level to address this issue. In the wake of the Dobbs decision, different states passed laws purporting to ‘shield’ abortion providers from liability and prosecution for performing or aiding in abortions in other states. These laws are blatant attempts to interfere with states’ ability to enforce criminal laws within our borders and disrupt our constitutional structure. Therefore, we are asking Congress to consider passing legislation that preempts shield laws.
Here's where I can understand the abortion abolitionist’s push for recognition of fetal personhood to criminalize abortion. If these same doctors helped facilitate the murder of a child or adult outside of the womb, they would be extradited to face charges without question. But shield laws allow blue states to thumb their noses at red state laws, helping create an atmosphere of lawlessness that furthers the culture of death.
Make no mistake: the blatant disregard for unborn life is in direct proportion to the horrors coming out of Bibb County with the discovery of the underground child trafficking ring. When you work to snuff out life at its inception, it’s a steep and slippery slope to the erosion of life at all stages. Same spirit of darkness, different day.
Griffin continued:
I also sent cease-and-desist letters to two entities—Possibility Labs of San Francisco and Mayday Medicines Inc. of New York—that are shipping abortion pills to Arkansas or advertising the availability of abortion pills to be shipped to Arkansas. In addition, I issued two cease-and-desist letters to two companies, one domain registry—Dreamscape Networks International of Singapore—and one domain host—Cloudflare of San Francisco—that support a website that promotes the abortion-inducing drugs.
In another stage of the battle, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, also a signatory on the shield law letter, is suing Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) for its deceptive marketing of the abortion pill. In a recent press release, Bailey noted:
Planned Parenthood’s false advertising has a national reach, including targeted claims against Missouri women. The organization uses its website to make dangerous claims, such as calling the chemical abortion drug mifepristone, ‘safer than many other medicines like penicillin, Tylenol, and Viagra,’ despite FDA labeling and peer-reviewed studies showing serious adverse events in more than 4.5 percent of cases, with new research suggesting even higher rates, closer to more than 10 percent.
Needless to say, the attorneys general are fighting uphill battles. Anti-life activists see any attack on these laws as a back door to a national abortion ban, and frankly, they would not be far off the mark: criminalization of abortive actions would have the requisite chilling effect of preventing the actions from happening. Despite organizations like PPFA shuttering their centers in major cities, they will redirect their monies and energies to ensure that shield laws stay in place and the abortion pill continues to be distributed unrestricted and without proper medical supervision.
Rodriguez v. Coeytaux was filed in state and federal court using the 1873 Comstock Act as its basis, which “sought to block the mailing of pornography, contraceptives, and any abortion-inducing medicines or materials.” In 1971, Congress repealed the portion which addressed contraceptives, but the basis of the law still stands and has now been deployed. So, a potential ruling in Rodriguez’ favor could create the precedent needed to shore up individual state challenges to the shield laws as well as the distribution of the abortion pill.
Jennifer Oliver O'Connell, As the Girl Turns, is an investigative journalist, author, opinion analyst, and contributor to 1819 News, Redstate, and other publications. Jennifer writes on Politics and Pop Culture, with occasional detours into Reinvention, Yoga, and Food. You can read more about Jennifer's world at her As the Girl Turns website. You can also follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Telegram.
The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of 1819 News. To comment, please send an email with your name and contact information to [email protected].
Don’t miss out! Subscribe to our newsletter and get our top stories every weekday morning.
