US judge to block Trump administration’s abortion restrictions

He called restrictions in Title X reform 'ham-fisted approach to public health policy'

Pro-choice activists, politicians and others associated with Planned Parenthood gather against the Trump administration's title X rule change in February in New York City (Getty)

A federal judge in Oregon said on Tuesday that he would block the Trump administration’s ban on abortion referrals.

US District Judge Michael McShane said he would grant a preliminary injunction against new federal rules barring groups providing abortions or abortion referrals from receiving federal funding.

He called the new restrictions a “ham-fisted approach to public health policy” and said they prevent doctors from behaving like medical professionals, according to The Oregonian/Oregon Live.

“This is a victory for patients and doctors in this country,” Planned Parenthood president Leana Wen said on Twitter. “Because of this, our patients across the country can still access the life-saving healthcare they need.”

The new rules are part of a reform of the Title X family planning programme announced in February by the Trump administration. They are set to go into effect on 3 May.

They bar federally funded family planning clinics from referring a patient for abortion and require them to maintain a “clear physical and financial separation” between services funded by the government and any organisation that provides abortions or abortion referrals.

They would also redirect tens of millions of dollars from the women's health provider Planned Parenthood to faith-based groups.

The lawsuit was brought by Planned Parenthood, the American Medical Association and the state of Oregon – one of about 20 US states to launch lawsuits to block the new rules.

It is unclear if the injunction will apply nationwide; Judge McShane said he would describe the scope of the injunction in a formal written opinion soon.