The US Department of Justice has filed a civil lawsuit challenging Texas’ controversial abortion law.
“The act is clearly unconstitutional,” Attorney General Merrick B Garland said at a briefing on Thursday.
It bans abortions from as early as six weeks into pregnancy and allows anyone to sue those involved in the procedure.
Doctors and women’s rights groups have strongly condemned the law, which took effect last week after the Supreme Court failed to block it.
SB8, also known as the Texas Heartbeat Act, came into effect after the Supreme Court did not respond to an emergency appeal filed by abortion providers.
In an unsigned opinion, the court said that although the appeals had raised “serious questions” about the constitutionality of the law, it could not block it due to complex and “novel” procedural questions.
Democratic President Joe Biden has been under increasing pressure to act. Last week, Mr Biden vowed a “whole-of-government” response. He called the Supreme Court’s decision to not block the law “an unprecedented assault” on women’s rights.
