Supreme Court abortion ruling updates: WH warns of ‘nightmare scenarios’

Attorney General Merrick Garland said the Department of Justice "strong disagrees" with the Supreme Court's ruling on Friday, and added his department "will work tirelessly to protect and advance reproductive freedom."

He outlined several steps the department will take in furthering that goal, including protecting access to health care in states where abortion remains legal, supporting Congress' efforts "to codify Americans’ reproductive rights" and work to protect access to mifepristone, the so-called abortion pill.

"The Supreme Court has eliminated an established right that has been an essential component of women’s liberty for half a century -- a right that has safeguarded women’s ability to participate fully and equally in society," Garland wrote in a statement.

Garland was nominated to the Supreme Court by former President Barack Obama in 2016 to fill the late Justice Antonin Scalia's seat but never received a vote because Republicans refused to take it up.

-ABC News' Alex Mallin

"The restrictions put forth are not based on science nor medicine; they allow unrelated third parties to make decisions that rightfully and ethically should be made only by individuals and their physicians," Hoskins said.

She said the decision will disproportionately impact people already facing barriers to health care and that laws will make people face possible risks of pregnancy, including "the morbidity and mortality associated with childbirth."

"The principle of shared decision-making is founded on respect for peoples’ expertise in their own bodies and lives and clinicians’ expertise in science and medicine," Hoskins said. "There is no room within the sanctuary of the patient-physician relationship for individual lawmakers who wish to impose their personal religious or ideological views on others."

Following the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, leaders from racial justice groups are expressing outrage.

“Today’s Supreme Court decision marks a significant regression of our country. As a legal professional, I am astounded by this decision. As a Black woman, I am outraged,” said Janette McCarthy Wallace, general counsel for the NAACP, in part of a statement.

“There is no denying the fact that this is a direct attack on all women and Black women stand to be disproportionately impacted by the court’s egregious assault on basic human rights,” she said.

Portia White, the policy and legislative affairs vice president for the NAACP, encouraged Americans to “fight back” by voting.

“If you're not registered to vote, or know someone who isn't, now is the moment. This is no time for anyone to sit on the sidelines," White wrote in part of a statement.

Mini Timmaraju, president of pro-abortion group NARAL, called the court's decision "the worst-case scenario" and warned the anti-abortion movement and its political allies want to enact a nationwide ban on abortion.

"The impact on the real lives of real people will be devastating. The Supreme Court has given the green light to extremist state lawmakers who will waste no time springing into action to put in place total bans on abortion," Timmaraju said in a statement.

"But it is not the end of this fight. The 8 in 10 Americans who support the legal right to abortion will not let this stand. There is an election in November, and extremist politicians will learn: when you come for our rights, we come for your seats," Timmaraju said.