U.S. Justice Department

The decision Thursday could push the law closer to returning to the U.S. Supreme Court, which has already once allowed the restrictions to take effect without ruling on its constitutionality. The Texas law bans abortions once cardiac activity is detected, usually around six weeks and before some women know they are pregnant.

The department says it’s looking into whether the Texas Juvenile Justice Department provides “reasonable protection from physical and sexual abuse by staff and other residents, excessive use of chemical restraints and excessive use of isolation.”

The Biden administration urged the courts again Monday night to step in and suspend a new Texas law that has banned most abortions since early September, as clinics hundreds of miles away remain busy with Texas patients making long journeys to get care.

The U.S. sued Texas after the Biden administration vowed to oppose Texas’ new near-total abortion ban. The lawsuit joins several legal challenges already in progress.

The Justice Department is asking a federal judge to temporarily block the new Texas abortion ban while its lawsuit against the state continues.

Merrick Garland said his department will urgently explore all options to challenge the state law that effectively bans abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected, which can happen as early as six weeks into a pregnancy.

A new order by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott that allows state troopers to stop and turn around vehicles carrying migrants on the basis that they could increase the spread of COVID-19 drew swift backlash and a threat of a lawsuit from the Justice Department on Thursday.

A major civil rights group is demanding the attorney general pause federal grants to local police until he confirms they aren't engaging in discrimination, citing more police killings of Black people.

Attorney General Merrick Garland announced the inquiry a day after a jury convicted former officer Derek Chauvin on murder charges in the death of George Floyd.

The Trump-era immigration policy resulted in thousands of family separations at the U.S-Mexico border.

Inspector General Michael Horowitz released a review Thursday confirming Trump administration officials knew its policy would separate children from their families at the Southwest border.

Boeing will pay $2.5 billion to settle a criminal charge of defrauding safety regulators in connection with the development of the 737 Max aircraft, which suffered two deadly crashes.