Overview
- Maria Margarita Rojas, a Houston-area midwife, has been charged with performing illegal abortions and practicing medicine without a license, marking the first prosecution under Texas' near-total abortion ban enacted in 2022.
- Rojas allegedly operated three clinics in the Houston area that employed unlicensed individuals who presented themselves as licensed medical professionals.
- The charges include second-degree and third-degree felonies, with potential penalties of up to 20 years in prison for the abortion-related offenses.
- The Texas Attorney General’s Office has filed for a temporary restraining order to shut down the clinics as part of the ongoing investigation.
- This case highlights the enforcement of Texas' strict abortion laws, which criminalize providers rather than patients, and reflects broader debates over reproductive rights in the post-Roe era.