Midwife arrested for alleged illegal abortion ring asks to reopen clinics

A Houston-area midwife accused of running an illegal abortion ring has asked an appeals court to allow her to reopen her clinics as the criminal case against her proceeds.

Key Takeaways:

• Maria Rojas was arrested last year for committing illegal abortions and was indicted with 15 felony charges.

• Authorities later arrested eight more people who worked in Rojas' clinics, all charged with practicing medicine without a license.

• Her attorneys are asking for her clinics to be reopened as her criminal case proceeds.

The Backstory:

In March of 2025, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced Rojas' arrest, alleging she had been committing illegal abortions. “In Texas, life is sacred. I will always do everything in my power to protect the unborn, defend our state’s pro-life laws, and work to ensure that unlicensed individuals endangering the lives of women by performing illegal abortions are fully prosecuted,” Paxton said. “Texas law protecting life is clear, and we will hold those who violate it accountable.”

None of the women who underwent abortions at Rojas' clinics face any charges.

Within weeks of being arrested, Texas issued a restraining order to close Rojas' three clinics, and suspended her medical license. In September, she was charged with 15 felonies: three counts of performing an abortion and 12 counts of practicing medicine without a license.

Eight more people were arrested in October, and were charged with practicing medicine without a license at Rojas' clinics. At least one of the eight, Jose Manuel Cendan Ley, is accused of assisting Rojas in committing illegal abortions.

The Details:

Local media reported that attorneys for Rojas have asked that the injunction closing her clinics be lifted while her criminal case proceeds. Rather than acknowledge the seriousness of the charges against her, attorney Marc Hearron — who also works with the Center for Reproductive Rights — claimed Texas authorities were using Rojas as a pawn.

"This is a case about sensationalism. It is about publicity," he said. "It is not so far a case that appears to be an actual search for justice or the truth."

According to court documents, Rojas was charging between $800 and $1,300 for chemical abortions, and one patient said Rojas claimed to be a gynecologist, not a midwife. None of that was acknowledged by Hearron.

"The Attorney General's office did an incredibly shoddy investigation. That's what the affidavits show," he said. "It was headed by a Medicaid fraud investigator with no medical training, no experience with midwifery, no experience investigating abortions or practicing medicine. He truly jumped to some incredibly wild conclusions. He saw someone exiting the clinic and just assumed that person must have had an abortion."

Jeffrey Stephens, a lawyer representing the state of Texas, rebutted that argument by pointing out one very key fact: Rojas is accused of illegal activity at her clinics. “That’s the reasoning, it’s very simple reasoning,” Stephens said in response to a question of why the clinics needed to be shut down. “I don’t really think there’s much more that the court would need in terms of additional findings to support that. If Ms. Rojas wanted those, she certainly could have requested those under the rules of appellate procedure.”

The Bottom Line:

The appeals court did not issue a decision on the request to reopen Rojas' clinics. Whatever they decide will not affect her ongoing criminal case.