White House to pause grants for Planned Parenthood, others: report

Texas midwife, man charged with illegal abortions

Two people accused of illegally providing abortions in the Houston area have been arrested, according to the Waller County District Attorney's Office. Maria Margarita Rojas, 49, a midwife known as "Dr. Maria" from Cypress, and Jose Cendan Ley, 29, a Cuban citizen living in Houston, were taken into custody and charged with the illegal performance of an abortion and practicing medicine without a license. Waller County District Attorney Sean Whittmore says that the Attorney General's Office came to him a few months ago to tell him that they were investigating what they called an "illegal abortion" that happened in Waller. Investigators with the Attorney General's Office says Rojas owned and operated multiple clinics: Clinica Waller Latinoamericana in Waller, Clinica Latinoamericana Telge in Cypress, and Latinoamericana Medical Clinic in Spring. The facilities allegedly employed unlicensed individuals who posed as medical professionals, according to the AG's Office. Rojas herself is accused of performing illegal abortions in the clinics. Bond was set at $700,000 for each suspect. Providing an illegal abortion is a second-degree felony that comes with a prison sentence of up to 20 years, if convicted. Under the Texas Human Life Protection Act of 2021, abortion providers can receive civil penalties of at least $100,000 per violation. The Healthcare Program Enforcement Division of the Attorney General's Office filed for a temporary restraining order to shut down the clinics. The Attorney General's Office is expected to prosecute the case.

The Trump administration is reportedly planning to pause roughly $20 million in federal funding for Planned Parenthood as it reviews whether the family planning organization is complying with President Trump’s order to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

The Wall Street Journal, citing unnamed sources, reports that the administration will also freeze another $120 million for other family planning groups to undergo the same review on their DEI programs. 

What would Trump’s new executive order do? 

What we know:

The funding pause will impact family planning groups that offer pregnancy testing, access to birth control, infertility services and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases, according to the WSJ. 

Planned Parenthood is the nation’s leading reproductive health-care provider and abortion rights advocacy organization.

RELATED: Trump administration asks Supreme Court to block rehiring of fired federal workers

An official for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said it’s reviewing all grant contracts to make sure they’re in compliance with Trump’s DEI orders. 

Minneapolis, Minnesota. Planned Parenthood billboard. (Photo by: Michael Siluk/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

What we don't know:

It’s unclear how such a funding cut would impact Planned Parenthood and other family planning organizations, or whether the groups have changed their DEI policies since Trump took office. 

Alexis McGill Johnson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, offered the following statement when FOX TV Stations asked for comment: 

"This is blackmail. President Trump and Elon Musk are holding Planned Parenthood patients hostage by slashing funds from birth control providers who receive Title X grants.

"The Trump-Vance-Musk administration wants to shut down Planned Parenthood health centers by any means necessary, and they’ll end people’s access to birth control, cancer screenings, STI testing and treatment, and more to do it. This is shameful yet unsurprising — and we won’t let it happen without a fight."

Trump’s executive order on DEI

Trump orders all federal DEI employees put on leave

The White House?s Office of Personnel Management notified heads of agencies and departments that they must begin taking steps to close all Diversity, Equity and Inclusion offices by the end of the day Wednesday and place government workers in those offices on paid leave, Fox News Digital has learned.

The backstory:

Trump signed an order his first day in office directing federal agencies to terminate all "equity-related" grants or contracts. He signed a follow-up order requiring federal contractors to certify that they don’t promote DEI.

RELATED: Trump’s executive orders targeting DEI programs reinstated by appeals court

What they’re saying: Efforts to increase diversity long have been under attack by Republicans who contend the measures threaten merit-based hiring, promotion and educational opportunities for white people. 

The other side:

Supporters say the programs help institutions meet the needs of increasingly diverse populations while addressing the lasting impacts of systemic racism.