Texas, US: A federal judge in Texas, who was appointed by former US President Mr. Donald Trump, has issued an order to suspend the longstanding approval of Mifepristone, a commonly used abortion medication.

Later a judge selected by Mr. Obama in Washington state issued a conflicting decision, directing that the medication’s availability be maintained in 17 states. The pill has been approved for more than two decades and is utilized in the majority of abortion procedures. The conflicting court rulings increase the probability of the matter being escalated to the United States Supreme Court.

Judge Mr. Matthew Kacsmaryk in Amarillo, Texas, suspended the FDA’s authorization of mifepristone in a 67-page document. However, to provide the government with an opportunity to file an appeal, the order will not be enforced for a week.

The confirmation came from the US Department of Justice that it will contest the ruling made by Texas. Millions of women in the US may face restricted access to the drug due to Judge Mr. Kacsmaryk’s verdict, which has the potential to disrupt America’s drug regulatory system entirely, as per legal experts.

Following the Supreme Court’s removal of constitutional safeguards for an abortion last year, a series of state-level restrictions emerged, leading to a spate of abortion bans across the nation. Anti-abortion groups filed a lawsuit contending that the safety of the drug was never adequately examined.

State officials in Washington recently announced that they had accumulated a three-year stockpile of mifepristone, in case it becomes unavailable across the country, as declared by the Democratic Governor. Following the previous announcement, the Republican Governor of the neighbouring state Idaho signed a bill into law that prohibits “abortion trafficking.” The legislation criminalizes the act of adults assisting minors in travelling out of the state to receive an abortion without parental consent.