The US Justice Department has promised to use its federal powers to protect people seeking or clinics performing abortions in Texas, where highly restrictive legislation on voluntary pregnancy terminations has been adopted.
Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement on Monday his department "will provide support from federal law enforcement when an abortion clinic or reproductive health center is under attack."
Mr Garland said the department had already "reached out" to prosecutors and Federal Bureau of Investigation field offices in Texas "to discuss our enforcement authorities."
"We will not tolerate violence against those seeking to obtain or provide reproductive health services, physical obstruction or property damage in violation of the FACE Act," the statement said.
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
The 1994 FACE Act, an acronym for Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances, prohibits any form of violence against the exercise of the right to abortion.
The administration of President Joe Biden is also looking for ways to legally counter the Texan law, which the US Supreme Court has refused to take up, dealing a major blow to abortion rights.
That Texas law bans abortion once a heartbeat can be detected, which usually takes place at six weeks - before many women even know they are pregnant - except in a medical emergency.
