The Texas Court of Appeals vacated a temporary injunction that had closed three Houston-area clinics tied to midwife Maria Margarita Rojas, ruling the state improperly relied on probable-cause affidavits from a separate criminal case. The panel found the remaining civil record insufficient to support allegations that abortions occurred at the clinics. The decision affects only the injunction; it does not resolve ongoing criminal charges, which the attorney general plans to take to the Texas Supreme Court.
Appeals Court Vacates Injunction That Closed Houston-Area Midwife’s Clinics; Criminal Case Continues
Google Maps Street View - PHOTO: The former location of Clinica Waller Latinoamericana is shown in Waller, Texas.
The Texas Court of Appeals on Thursday vacated a temporary injunction that had closed three northwest Houston clinics and barred midwife Maria Margarita Rojas from operating, finding the state relied improperly on probable-cause affidavits from a related criminal case.
Court Finds Insufficient Civil Evidence
In a memorandum opinion, the Fifteenth Court of Appeals in Austin said the State of Texas "did not provide the trial court with sufficient evidence on which the trial court could grant a temporary injunction." The three-judge panel concluded the trial court abused its discretion by admitting probable-cause affidavits from Rojas' separate criminal proceeding into the civil injunction hearing. Without those affidavits, the court said, the remaining record did not reasonably support the state's allegations that abortions were performed at the clinics.
"Without the probable-cause affidavits, the remaining evidence in the record does not reasonably support the State's allegations that abortions have been performed at the Clinics," the opinion said.
Injunction Narrow, Criminal Case Unresolved
The appeals court ruling addresses only the validity of the temporary civil injunction and expressly does not resolve whether any criminal conduct occurred. Rojas remains separately charged in criminal court, including a second-degree felony count alleging she performed an abortion, according to the Texas Attorney General's office. That office said it intends to petition the Texas Supreme Court for review.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images, FILE - PHOTO: In this June 3, 2026, file photo, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is shown at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.
Rojas was arrested in March 2025 and has faced additional enforcement actions: she was jailed for 10 days after her arrest, reportedly paid a high bond to secure release, remains subject to an ankle monitor, and has had her midwifery license suspended. The clinics named by prosecutors include Clinica Waller Latinoamericana (Waller), Clinica Latinoamericana Telge (Cypress) and Latinoamericana Medical Clinic (Spring).
Reactions
Jenna Hudson, senior counsel at the Center for Reproductive Rights, which represents Rojas in the civil matter alongside Arnold & Porter and Hearron PLLC, called the decision "an important and critical step" and said it vindicated the argument that the state presented no civil evidence to justify shutting the clinics.
The attorney general's office responded that Paxton had secured bond conditions "that protect Texas women" from what it described as an "illegal abortion scheme," and that it will seek clarification of temporary-injunction procedures.
Context: Abortions are broadly banned in Texas except in limited circumstances, such as to save the life of the pregnant person or prevent substantial impairment of a major bodily function. The appellate ruling restores the ability of Rojas and the clinics to challenge the civil restrictions while the criminal case proceeds.
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