![Image](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/976/cpsprodpb/14168/production/_129308228_gettyimages-1356608449.jpg.webp)
By Robin Levinson-King
BBC News
A Trump-appointed federal judge in Texas has ordered a hold on the longstanding approval of a widely used abortion drug, mifepristone.
But an hour later an Obama-picked judge in Washington state issued a competing ruling, ordering that access to the drug be preserved in 17 states.
The pill has been allowed for over 20 years, and is used in most abortions.
The duelling court orders make it likely that the issue will escalate to the US Supreme Court.
In a 67-page opinion, Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk in Amarillo, Texas, halted the FDA's approval of mifepristone. The ruling will not go into effect for seven days to allow the government time to appeal.
The US Department of Justice confirmed on Friday night it would challenge the Texas ruling.
Judge Kacsmaryk's decision could limit access to the drug for millions of women in the US. Legal analysts said the ruling threatens to upend the entire foundation of America's drug regulatory system.
It comes after the Supreme Court removed constitutional protections for abortion last year, triggering a wave of state-by-state bans.
Read more.
A lawsuit filed by anti-abortion groups had argued that the drug's safety was never properly studied.