Twitter Reacts To Appeals Court's Decision Allowing Undocumented Teen's Abortion

A federal appeals court in Washington cleared the way, Tuesday, for an undocumented teen referred to as "Jane Doe," in detention in Texas, to end her pregnancy. This is being considered the first major legal battle over abortion under President Donald Trump, reports said.

The 6-3 ruling reversed an earlier decision by a three-judge panel on the same court that had stalled the teen's abortion. The appeals court ordered the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to allow the teen to have her abortion carried out without delay from the abortion provider of her choice, CNN reported.

The Trump administration had been preventing the undocumented teen from terminating her pregnancy for more than a month. She was kept in a federally funded shelter in Texas where the administration had ordered a no abortion policy for undocumented minors.

These minors were ordered to be taken to crisis pregnancy centers where they could be counseled to withdraw from their decision of aborting their fetuses, according to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) website.

On Oct. 18, the teen along with the ACLU approached the court seeking an order of having her released so that she could get an abortion. However, the government said that they were not holding her hostage because she can be deported to her native country if she agreed to that.

Meanwhile, after the Federal court's ruling Tuesday, Twitter users had a field day posting their reactions about the case which, touches on two divisive social issues the current administration has challenged: abortion and immigration.

David Cole, National Legal Director, ACLU, expressed his joy after the federal court's ruling in favor of the teen.

One user tweeted to Trump: "If your administration does not set the Jane Doe who wants to get an abortion free to do that, p***y will grab back!"

Advocates such as Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards welcomed the ruling. Richards said in a statement: "For weeks now, (HHS official) Scott Lloyd and the Trump administration have used every tool at their disposal to prevent her from accessing the health care she deserves — substituting their judgment for hers. We hope that this ruling sends a strong signal to the Trump administration. Access to safe, legal abortion is the law."

"Every woman deserves access to basic health care, including abortion, regardless of her immigration status. It is outrageous that the Trump administration and its various appointees, continue to put women's health and lives at risk, in pursuit of their extremist political and ideological agenda. We demand that the Trump administration stop playing politics with women's lives," she added, according to CNN.

Meanwhile, pro-abortion advocates have attacked Lloyd, the Director of the Office of Refugee Resettlement, of enforcing his anti-abortion beliefs onto the young women in federal custody, the New York Times reported. After traveling to San Antonio in March where he visited a minor, he reportedly wrote to some of his staff that if things "get dicey" with the minor’s adult sponsor, "I know a few good families with a heart for these situations who would take her in in a heartbeat and see her through her pregnancy and beyond."