Justice Samuel Alito restores medication abortion access nationwide

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday temporarily preserved nationwide access to the abortion pill mifepristone, stepping in days after a federal appeals court moved to roll back how patients can obtain the medication.

In a brief order signed by Justice Samuel Alito, the court paused a ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit that would have barred telehealth prescriptions and mail delivery, effectively requiring patients to receive the drug in person. Alito’s intervention restores current access rules while litigation continues.

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The appeals court decision, issued late last week, would have reinstated older federal restrictions on mifepristone, a key component of the most common abortion method in the United States. Providers and drugmakers warned the changes would disrupt care nationwide, particularly in states where abortion is otherwise banned or heavily limited.

The case, brought by officials in Louisiana, is part of a broader legal push to curb medication abortion. Louisiana argues that remote prescribing undermines its near-total abortion ban, while opponents say restricting access would create new barriers for patients already navigating a patchwork of state laws.

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Mifepristone, approved more than two decades ago by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, is now used in a majority of U.S. abortions.

The Supreme Court’s order is temporary, lasting only one week, leaving the broader legal fight unresolved as the justices consider next steps.