US Will Drop Biden-Era Fight Over Idaho Emergency Abortion Ban

The Trump administration plans to dismiss a Biden-era challenge to a near-total Idaho abortion ban, court records show.

The administration plans to seek dismissal of the case by Wednesday, attorneys for St. Luke’s Health System said in a Tuesday court filing, pointing to an email from federal government attorneys.

The underlying case, US v Idaho, is pending before the Ninth Circuit. However, St. Luke’s, Idaho’s largest health care system, sued Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador (R) in January, anticipating the incoming administration would move to dismiss US v Idaho.

Enforcement of the state’s law that largely bans doctors from performing abortions in emergencies had been paused by the courts.

St. Luke’s now seeks a temporary restraining order continuing the pause on the law’s enforcement before the court decides on a preliminary injunction in the new case.

“Even a short period without an injunction would require Idaho hospitals to train their staff about the change in legal obligations, distracting them from providing medical care to their patients, and would once again require them to airlift patients out of state should a medical emergency arise so that those patients can consider the full spectrum of medically indicated care, including termination of pregnancy,” the court filing said.

The case is St. Luke’s Health System, Ltd v. Raul Labrador, D. Idaho, No. 1:25-cv-00015, motion filed 3/4/25.