There have been dramatic developments over the past two days in the ongoing legal challenge of the Texas Heartbeat Act (SB 8) by the U.S. Department of Justice.

Yesterday, the U.S. Department of Justice vowed to seek intervention by the U.S. Supreme Court to block enforcement of SB 8.

The DOJ’s revelation yesterday was in immediate response to the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals order this past Thursday evening. That Fifth Circuit order extended its previous order last week that swiftly halted Federal District Court Judge Robert Pitman’s injunction blocking enforcement of SB 8 on constitutional grounds. Thursday’s 2-1 decision consisted of Fifth Circuit Judges Catharina Haynes and James Ho as the two votes for extending SB 8’s reinstatement with Judge Carl Stewart dissenting (See the Fifth Circuit’s latest Order here.)

This most recent Fifth Circuit order is the third time the court has allowed the law to stand until a formal hearing, and means SB 8 will remain in effect indefinitely while the case continues. Meanwhile, unborn babies in Texas with a detectable heartbeat, usually at six weeks of a pregnancy, are protected and hundreds of babies are being saved.

The DOJ’s decision to go to the U.S. Supreme Court will be the second time SCOTUS has been asked to halt enforcement of the Heartbeat Act while the back and forth legal challenges play out. The Supreme Court previously allowed the law to take effect on September 1 in a divisive 5-4 decision last month. SB 8 has withstood vigorous efforts by abortion advocates to have it stricken thus far due to the innovative enforcement mechanism that allows private citizens to enforce it rather than Texas government officials.

Please join us in continuing to pray for:

• Many unborn babies’ lives to be saved by the continued reinstatement of the Texas Heartbeat Act
• Abortion-minded and determined women in Texas to seek care from life-affirming pregnancy resource centers in our state rather than traveling to other states like Oklahoma and Kansas to terminate their pregnancies.
• Hearts and minds of abortion providers and proponents determined to strike down the Texas Heartbeat Act to be transformed to value and love every unborn child and that they would come to understand the deep emotional and spiritual pain abortion causes women, men and families to suffer.
• The U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals and all judges and legislators at the federal and state level to use their positions of leadership and authority to honor the Sanctity of Life.
• God’s protection over our country, state and leaders who bravely stand for the unborn.