Louisiana's complete abortion ban is back in place after judge lifts temporary restraining order

Louisiana's total abortion ban is back in effect for now after a New Orleans judge lifted a temporary restraining order that was blocking enforcement of the state's trigger law and ruled that the case must be moved to state court in Baton Rouge.

New Orleans Civil Court Judge Ethel Julien's ruling Friday should result in the immediate closure of Louisiana's three abortion clinics — Hope Medical Group in Shreveport, Delta Clinic in Baton Rouge, and Women's Health Care Center in New Orleans.

Julien's ruling dissolved an initial order blocking the state's abortion ban by her colleague Judge Robin Giarrusso on June 27.

The Center for Reproductive Rights, which is representing Shreveport's clinic in a lawsuit seeking to block Louisiana's trigger law, will seek another temporary order allowing the clinics to reopen while the case is being argued in Baton Rouge.

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"We're just starting the legal battle to get the ban blocked again," said Jenny Ma, an attorney for the Center for Reproductive rights. "

Friday's ruling is a victory for Republican Attorney General Jeff Landry, who is defending the state's trigger law banning abortions.

"Fighting and Winning for Louisiana!," Landry tweeted.

He said the Supreme Court's ruling overturning its Roe v. Wade decision that guaranteed legal abortion nationwide returned the decision on abortion rights to individual state legislatures.

"If you don't like Louisiana's law or Louisiana's constitution you can go to another state," Landry told reporters after the hearing. "That's the greatness about America."

Louisiana's 2006 trigger law, updated by Democratic Monroe Sen. Katrina Jackson's bill this summer, was designed to take effect immediately following the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn the Roe v. Wade decision guaranteeing legal abortions.

But Shreveport's Hope Medical Group for Women filed a lawsuit asking to block the trigger law, arguing its "vague" language makes it impossible to tell whether any of the laws are in effect, which ones are in effect, and what would be prohibited.

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Louisiana's trigger law outlaws virtually all abortions with an exception for saving the life of the mother, but no exceptions for rape or incest.

It carries criminal penalties of up to 15 years for doctors who perform abortions but exempts pregnant women from prosecution.

Lift Louisiana, which advocates for abortion rights, said Friday's ruling "places pregnant people’s lives at risk and paralyzes doctors from making critical care decisions."

"This is a bad day for the people of Louisiana, especially pregnant people, but it is not the end, and this decision will not deter us from continuing to fight for reproductive justice," Lift said in a statement.

Greg Hilburn covers state politics for the USA TODAY Network of Louisiana. Follow him on Twitter @GregHilburn1.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: Louisiana's trigger law banning abortion is back in placew