Texas suspends license of midwife accused of committing illegal abortions

UPDATE, 3/30/25: Through an emergency order, the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation suspended the license of the midwife accused of carrying out illegal abortions. Maria Margarita Rojas and Jose Cendan Ley, were arrested and charged with committing an illegal abortion and practicing medicine without a license earlier this month.

“The accusation that she practiced medicine without a license, including holding herself out as a gynecologist and making terminal medical decisions for pregnant clients, falls outside the scope of practice for midwives in Texas,” the agency said.

Bond has been set at $500,000 for each count of committing an illegal abortion and $200,000 for each count of practicing medicine without a license for each defendant.

UPDATE, 3/22/25: A Texas judge issued a temporary restraining order on Tuesday, closing the Houston-area facilities where midwife Maria Margarita Rojas was committing illegal abortions.

The order prevents Maternal and Child Healthcare and Research Center, Clinicas Latinoamericana, and Houston Birth House from providing any medical services or committing abortions.

The ruling by Waller County Judge Gary W. Chaney was praised by Attorney General Ken Paxton.

“This is a critical win in our fight to uphold Texas law, protect the unborn, and protect all Texans from dangerous clinics practicing medicine without a license,” Paxton said in a statement. “Rojas and her network of illegal clinics operated with blatant disregard for the law, putting people’s lives at risk.”

The temporary order will be in place until March 27, at which time a judge may decide to extend the injunction.

3/18/25: On Monday, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced the arrest of a Texas midwife for allegedly carrying out illegal abortions. He also stated there would be a crackdown on her facilities in the Houston area.

According to a press release from the AG’s office, Maria Margarita Rojas, 48, was arrested for committing illegal abortions and illegally operating a network of abortion businesses in the Northwest Houston area. Rojas, who is known as “Dr. Maria,” has been charged with illegal performance of an abortion, a second-degree felony. She also faces a charge of practicing medicine without a license.

The arrest came after an “extensive investigation by Attorney General Paxton’s Law Enforcement Division.” That investigation revealed that Rojas owned, operated, and committed abortions at multiple facilities under the names Clinica Waller Latinoamericana in Waller, Clinica Latinoamericana Telge in Cypress, and Latinoamericana Medical Clinic in Spring. Each employed unlicensed persons who allegedly falsely presented themselves as licensed medical professionals.

Under the Texas Human Life Protection Act of 2021, Rojas faces two to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000, however, the press release noted that Paxton could seek at least $100,000 per violation. The Healthcare Program Enforcement Division also filed for a temporary restraining order to shut down Rojas’ facilities.

The Texas Tribune attempted to cast doubt or assign ulterior motives to the charges against Rojas, likening the situation in Texas today to the 1800s:

Midwives – in particular, midwives of color – have long been a target of US anti-abortion activism. As abortion bans spread across the country in the 19th century, midwives were often driven out of work or faced criminal consequences, which in turn led white, male doctors to siphon up their patients and dominate the medical field.

The arrest is thought to be the first under the state’s pro-life law; however, in 2024, Paxton’s office sued Dr. Margaret Carpenter, a New York abortionist who mailed abortion pills to a Texas woman who suffered complications, including bleeding severe enough to warrant emergency care.

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“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,” said Attorney General Paxton. “Texas law protecting life is clear, and we will hold those who violate it accountable.”

None of the women who underwent abortions would face any charges.

Under Texas law, abortion is defined as “the act of using or prescribing an instrument, a drug, a medicine, or any other substance, device, or means with the intent to cause the death of an unborn child of a woman known to be pregnant.” Such an act is prohibited except when the mother faces a life-threatening condition or is at risk of “substantial impairment of a major bodily function.”