The alarming effects of Texas’ near-total abortion ban have been made clear by the recently announced arrest of Maria Margarita Rojas, a Texan midwife accused of providing illegal abortion services. The state Attorney General Ken Paxton announced this arrest on the grounds that Dr. Maria, and her employee Jose Ley, allegedly operated at least three clinics in the Houston areas, where abortions had already been reported by authorities to have been performed. These criminal charges represent the very first under the ban. The charge for abortion is a second-degree felony, threatening a fine of $10,000 and up to 20 years in prison. To put it into perspective, the charge for practicing medicine without a license is only up to 10 years. Attorney General Paxton declared in his statement, “In Texas, life is sacred!”
Ever since the supreme court overturned Roe v Wade, Texas has been at the forefront of the criminalization of abortion providers and the restriction of reproductive healthcare. Importantly, Texas’ bans target the providers, not the patients. The state’s bans have made abortions illegal for pregnant women at all stages. The only exceptions are made narrowly for life-threatening conditions. Such “conditions” are insufficient and far too vague. Texas already has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the country, and stands to see outcomes worsen drastically as bans force healthcare providers out of practice. Legislation like this places healthcare providers in the impossible position of weighing the risk of imprisonment against protecting the lives of their patients. As a result, pregnant people lose access to essential, life-saving, medical support.
The aggressive prosecution of Dr. Maria Margarita Rojas is just one example of the chilling effect these laws have on maternal healthcare providers. Her case is being handled by the state in full-force. She was reportedly pulled over by police at gunpoint on her way to a clinic. Texas is seeking to make an example of Dr. Maria. Healthcare professionals, such as doulas, nurses, and others, are at risk of criminal prosecution, simply for providing necessary and compassionate care.
By Julia Panos
Sources:
DeStefanis, Giovanna. 2025. “Texas Midwife’s Arrest Marks a Chilling Escalation in the War on Abortion Rights – Feminist Majority Foundation.” Feminist Majority Foundation. March 20, 2025. https://feminist.org/news/texas-midwifes-arrest-marks-a-chilling-escalation-in-the-war-on-abortion-rights/.
Arwa Mahdawi. 2025. “Arrested at Gunpoint, Charged as a Felon: A Midwife’s Lot in Anti-Abortion Texas.” The Guardian. The Guardian. March 22, 2025. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/mar/22/texas-midwife-arrest-abortion.
Bendix, Aria, and Tim Stelloh. 2025. “Texas Midwife Arrested and Charged with Performing Illegal Abortions.” NBC News. March 18, 2025. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/texas-midwife-arrested-charged-performing-illegal-abortions-rcna196810.
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