Supreme Court Justice Kagan Declines Intervention in Texas Surrogacy Custody Dispute
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan has rejected a request to intervene in a high-profile surrogacy and custody dispute, upholding a lower court's ruling that grants custody to the biological parents. The case involves McKenna West, a surrogate who gave birth to a child with a severe heart defect. West had sought conservatorship over the child, named Gabriel by her and Rumi by the biological parents, Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed, to have a say in the child's medical treatment. The couple had initially asked West to terminate the pregnancy after the diagnosis of hypoplastic left heart syndrome. West refused and moved to Texas, where abortion is largely banned, seeking custody. Both California and Texas courts have consistently ruled against West's requests, affirming the biological parents' right to custody. Justice Kagan, who oversees emergency court requests from California, did not provide a specific reason for her decision, which is typical for such emergency appeals.
