Friend –

Yesterday, the Fifth Circuit issued a decision threatening medication abortion access that lacks any basis in law or science. The ruling would drastically impede access to mifepristone – a medication used in the majority of abortions in the US. And, while the court did not withdraw approval entirely, if allowed to take effect, this decision would wreak havoc on access to abortion and will undermine drug development and innovation processes for other essential medications.

At a time when access to abortion has already been devastated by the overturning of Roe, this decision has the full potential to further decimate people's ability to get an abortion in every state in the country.

To be clear: This outrageous decision does not change the availability of mifepristone right now – and the decision remains on hold while the case works its way to the Supreme Court. Unfortunately, however, this case will be before the same justices who overturned Roe v. Wade last year. This is just the next step in abortion opponents' plan to try to ban abortion nationwide.

That fact alone means we must be louder than ever about this, ACLU Supporter. This case puts medication abortion – currently used in over half of U.S. abortions – at risk nationwide. We can and must continue to let all courts know that this is unacceptable: Add your name to our petition today.

ACLU Supporter, we'll keep saying this as many times as it takes: Mifepristone is safe, effective, and has been used by more than five million people in the United States since its FDA approval more than two decades ago.

This case has been roundly criticized by legal and medical experts, because it utterly lacks merit. It is cruel, baseless, and will directly put people's lives at risk. If we allow judges to interfere with legitimate and well-supported FDA actions like this, it could have serious implications far beyond mifepristone – threatening to derail the development and approval of lifesaving medicines and beyond.

We at the ACLU have been fighting for abortion access since before Roe v. Wade was decided, and we've been fighting for all people's most fundamental freedoms for even longer. So, understand we are not allowing this decision to stop our fight for one second.

If you're with us, then add your name to our petition today and let the courts know we, the people, are watching.

Keep up the fight,

The ACLU Team

P.S. Our work to protect medication abortion access and all our civil liberties is dependent on the generous contributions of supporters like you. Make a gift today to make sure we have the necessary resources to keep our teams of lawyers, organizers, and volunteers on the ground nationwide.