Many Republican legislatures have tried banning the pills from being shipped or prescribed. But some women have been able to circumvent the restrictions by getting their pills online from overseas pharmacies that can’t be reached by U.S. laws. The five-day regimen of tablets usually comes in an unassuming envelope, making it hard to police. With the Supreme Court possibly poised to overturn Roe v. Wade, people seeking abortions in the United States will probably flock to these sources, experts say.

“This is just not going to be stoppable,” said Gerald Rosenberg, a law professor emeritus at the University of Chicago law school…

The political environment threatens to pit state against state. Republican lawmakers in Missouri are considering a proposal to criminalize abortions that take place out of state. A Democratic bill advancing in the California legislature would protect patients and health-care providers from civil penalties in states that ban the practice. Another bill would protect the California licenses of abortion providers who offer care via telehealth in jurisdictions where the service is illegal.