Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced the arrest of Maria Margarita Rojas, a woman who allegedly performed illegal abortions and practiced medicine without a license, on Monday.
Why It Matters
A law went into effect in Texas in 2022 prohibiting abortion in most circumstances. There is an exception for situations where the life or health of the mother is at risk. Under the law, the procedure must be performed by a licensed physician.
Texas’ abortion ban is considered one of the most restrictive in the United States, with no exception in cases of rape or incest.
The criminal charges against Rojas are the first charges brought under the state’s abortion ban, according to The Texas Tribune.
What To Know
In a press release on Monday, Paxton said Rojas, a midwife known as “Dr. Maria,” was illegally operating multiple clinics in the Northwest Houston area. She was arrested in Waller County and charged with the illegal performance of an abortion and practicing medicine without a license.
The attorney general’s Law Enforcement Division determined that Rojas owned and operated Clinica Waller Latinoamericana in Waller, Clinica Latinoamericana Telge in Cypress and Latinoamericana Medical Clinic in Spring.
Rojas is accused of unlawfully employing unlicensed individuals who falsely presented themselves as licensed professionals and provided medical treatments to patients.
The attorney general’s Healthcare Program Enforcement Division also filed for a temporary restraining order to shut down Rojas’s clinics.
Paxton said Texas law “holds abortion providers—not patients—criminally responsible for unlawful procedures.”
Waller County District Attorney Sean Whittmore referred the case to Paxton for prosecution.
What People Are Saying
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, in a statement: “In Texas, life is sacred. I will always do everything in my power to protect the unborn, defend our state’s pro-life laws, and work to ensure that unlicensed individuals endangering the lives of women by performing illegal abortions are fully prosecuted. Texas law protecting life is clear, and we will hold those who violate it accountable.”
What Happens Next
Rojas could face up to 20 years in prison on the illegal performance of an abortion charge, which is considered a second-degree felony.
Whittmore told The Texas Tribune that more charges against Rojas are expected in the coming days, and the case will then go to a grand jury to consider indictment.
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