First - Ever Texas Abortion Provider Prosecution : Houston Midwife Appeals Clinic Shutdown

aol.com · Feb 21, 2026 · Collected from GDELT

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Pregnancy test and ultrasound Image by CanvaA Texas appeals court heard arguments Thursday in a civil lawsuit against a midwife accused of illegally providing abortions under the state’s near-total ban.Maria Margarita Rojas, operator of three clinics in northwest Houston, faced claims from Attorney General Ken Paxton that she conducted abortions and practiced medicine without a license. Last year, a Waller County court issued an injunction that shuttered the facilities. The Center for Reproductive Rights, which handled Rojas’ civil defense, sought to reverse that injunction. A decision in the case is expected in the coming weeks. In a parallel criminal proceeding, Rojas stands charged with a first-degree felony for allegedly defying the abortion ban, an offense punishable by up to life in prison. It is the first criminal charge against a provider for violating Texas’ abortion law. A status hearing for the criminal case is scheduled for June 3. “[Paxton] is accusing our client of basically operating abortion clinics, which the problem is that the allegations just aren’t true and we think that the state completely failed to prove or show that any abortions were happening or that any unlawful practice was happening at the clinics,” said Marc Hearron, interim associate director of litigation at the Center for Reproductive Rights, ABC News reported.Hearron asserted that Rojas employed misoprostol only for miscarriage management.The investigation started in January 2025 after an anonymous report to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission alleged two abortions at one of Rojas’ sites. Medicaid Fraud Division investigators reported discovering a misoprostol bottle; the drug, when paired with Mifepristone, could be used to terminate pregnancies, but it is also used to address early miscarriages.In the civil appeal, Rojas’ attorneys emphasized that no Mifepristone or surgical instruments were found during searches of the facilities. They also charged that the investigators possessed no medical knowledge and did not seek expert input.Hearron described the severe toll on Rojas and her patients’ healthcare access.“I think this is a politically motivated case and the effect has been to completely upend my client’s life,” Hearron said. “She was arrested twice. She was held in jail for 10 days and had to post this exorbitant $1.4 million bond. She’s now out, but she’s got to wear an ankle monitor. There are extreme restrictions on her travel. Her midwifery license has been temporarily suspended pending the outcome of the criminal proceedings, which could take years.”Hearron noted broader effects on the clinics’ primarily Spanish-speaking, low-income, uninsured patrons.“People who relied on Mrs. Rojas for midwifery care — she delivered babies,” Hearron said. “She was a caring, devoted midwife who delivered babies and provided care to her patients, and now her patients can’t turn to her. So this has been devastating.”Last year, Paxton’s office referred to Rojas as “Dr. Maria,” owner of Clinica Waller Latinoamericana in Waller, Clinica Latinoamericana Telge in Cypress, and Latinoamericana Medical Clinic in Spring. The news release alleged she carried out illegal abortion procedures in breach of the Texas Human Life Protection Act.Texas law prohibits abortions except when a woman’s life is at risk or she faces substantial bodily function impairment. In allowed cases, patients need two appointments: one for in-person counseling, followed by the procedure at least 24 hours later, ABC News reported.