Abortion providers ask Supreme Court to freeze ruling blocking some abortions in Texas

The legal challenge has been bouncing around in federal courts since Gov. Greg Abbott signed an executive order on March 22, 2020, restricting access to abortion.

Texas says it is blocking unnecessary medical procedures in order to preserve essential personal protective equipment (PPE) during the pandemic. Planned Parenthood and others argue that delaying abortions by weeks "does nothing to further the State's interest in combatting COVID-19."

They say if the women are unable to obtain an abortion for several weeks they will be forced either to "to remain pregnant and endure the physical, economic, and emotional consequences of pregnancy or to undertake risky and expensive travel to other states where abortion is still available."

This is a breaking story and will be updated.