The U.S. Department of Justice sued the state of Texas on Thursday in a bid to block its law that bans abortions at about six weeks of pregnancy.
U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced the filing of the lawsuit in a press conference, report the New York Times, the Washington Post and CNN.
The Texas law, known as SB 8, authorizes private citizens to file lawsuits against abortion providers and others who knowingly help pregnant women violate the law. The measure bans abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected—which is at about six weeks—even in cases of rape and incest.