It is the first major lawsuit in which the Justice Department challenges a so-called "trigger law" in a state since the US Supreme Court declared in June that Roe v. Wade does not guarantee the right to free abortion.
The purpose of the lawsuit is to invalidate Idaho's "criminal ban on providing abortions to women for medical reasons," according to Attorney General Merrick Garland.
Idaho's new restrictive abortion law, set to take effect on August 25, will make virtually all abortions illegal.
According to the Attorney General, this is in violation of the federal law that compels hospitals in the United States to offer essential care to women in emergency cases.
- This can be relevant, for example, when a woman goes through a miscarriage that risks leading to septicemia or bleeding, or suffers from severe preeclampsia, says Garland according to NBC News.
Biden stands up to HD
After the Supreme Court ruling, President Joe Biden promised to fight with all legal means to maintain abortion rights in the states.
The announcement of the lawsuit against Idaho comes on the same day that Kansas holds a referendum on the abortion issue.
In June, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the ruling that guaranteed the right to abortion since 1973.
HD's decision meant that power over abortion laws was moved to the states.