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WASHINGTON D.C., December 19, 2017 (LifeSiteNews) – The battle continues to rage between the pro-abortion American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Trump administration over whether the U.S. government should be forced to provide abortions for pregnant illegal immigrant minors.

Today, a judge sided with the ACLU and ordered the Trump Administration to stop blocking abortion access to two immigrant women. 

“A federal judge today granted the ACLU’S request for a temporary restraining order to prevent the Trump administration from blocking two more young immigrant women from obtaining abortions,” the ACLU stated in a press release. “The judge however put the ruling on hold for 24 hours to allow the government time to seek a stay from the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals.”

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) told LifeSiteNews that it was “deeply disappointed” by the judge’s ruling. 

“We are deeply disappointed in the decision to grant a temporary restraining order that will compel HHS to facilitate abortions for minors when they are not medically necessary,” HHS' Administration for Children and Families said. 

“A pregnant minor who has entered the country illegally has the option to voluntarily depart to her home country or identify a suitable sponsor.  HHS-funded facilities that provide temporary shelter and care for unaccompanied alien minors should not become way stations for these children to get taxpayer-facilitated abortions.”

It remains to be seen if the HHS will appeal the decision. 

At issue are two pregnant unaccompanied illegal immigrant minors now in U.S. custody who want abortions.  So far, the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) has barred them from aborting their preborn babies.

The ACLU says that in addition to challenging the Trump Administration’s ban on abortions, it has documented what it considers to be “other egregious and unconstitutional harms other young women in ORR detention.”  These include: “Requiring pregnant teens to go to a religiously affiliated, anti-abortion counseling centers to pressure them to continue their pregnancy; requiring a pregnant teen to have a medically unnecessary sonogram against her will; and blocking pregnant teens from travelling to medical visits.”

The ACLU is expecting Trump Admin to appeal the ruling. They are preparing to continue the battle. 

“Unfortunately, the Trump administration has shown no indication that they’ll abandon their cruel and dystopian crusade to block abortion access for some of the most marginalized people in our country. We’re prepared to keep fighting for as long as we need to,” said Brigitte Amiri, Senior staff attorney with the ACLU’s Reproductive Freedom Project.

March for Life President Jeanne Mancini slammed the judge’s ruling. 

“It runs counter to our country's founding principles to grant undocumented teenagers in U.S. custody an abortion,” she said in a statement to LifeSiteNews. 

“We should be promoting hope to these young women who are guests in our country, not death. There is something wrong with our culture when vulnerable immigrant teenagers exploited by abortion proponents are being celebrated for falling victim to a political agenda.” 

Kristan Hawkins, President of Students for Life of America (SFLA), remarked yesterday as the court drama was unfolding, “Once again, young girls are pawns in an abortion industry effort to expand their customer base by forcing the government to facilitate the abortions of illegal immigrants.”   

“It is disgraceful that the ACLU and the abortion industry continue to take advantage of young girls for their own political purposes, with no regard for their health and safety,” continued Hawkins.  The ACLU is trying to make America “a sanctuary country for abortion.”