Healthcare advocates breathed a sigh of relief but said the "fight is not over" after a federal judge on Friday struck down Mississippi's six-week abortion ban.
The southern state's law, which would have taken effect July 1, is one in a wave of state-level anti-choice measures recently passed that critics say are meant to provoke a challenge to Roe v. Wade.
U.S. Judge Carlton Reeves—who ruled against the state's 15-week abortion ban just six months ago—said Tuesday during arguments that the new law "smacks of defiance to this court."
Reeves also pointed to the law's lack of exception for rape, according to the Clarion Ledger.
"So a child who is raped at 10 or 11 years old, that child does not open their mouth, doesn't tell their parents, the rapist may be in their home, nobody discovers until it's too late—that is a fetal heartbeat has been detected—that child must bring the fetus to term under this statute, if the fetal heartbeat can be detected," Reeves said.
The law, he said in issuing the preliminary injunction on Friday, "threatens immediate harm to women's rights, especially considering most women do not seek abortions services until after six weeks."
Reeves added that "by banning abortions after the detection of a fetal heartbeat, the law prevents a woman's free choice, which is central to personal dignity and autonomy."
The challenge was brought by Center for Reproductive Rights, which cheered the ruling on Twitter.
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BREAKING: A federal judge just struck down Mississippi’s 6 week abortion ban!!
— Center for Reproductive Rights (@ReproRights) May 24, 2019
Once again the rule of law has prevailed over political ploys to control personal health decisions. We’ll fight tooth and nail to make sure all of these bans meet the same fate.
Other reproductive rights advocates also praised the judge's decision and pointed to ongoing threats to abortion access.
Mississippi’s 6-week abortion ban is a dangerous policy that criminalizes a safe, standard medical procedure and would put women's lives in jeopardy.
— Leana Wen, M.D. (@DrLeanaWen) May 24, 2019
This is fantastic news — but this fight is not over. #StopTheBans https://t.co/GX6xyi2YKz
BREAKING: A federal judge just blocked the Mississippi abortion ban — a win for Mississippians & our right to safe, legal abortion. But the fight doesn't end here. Abortion access is still under threat, and we're doing everything we can to fight back. https://t.co/WWGKeaoR4B
— Planned Parenthood Action (@PPact) May 24, 2019
We won’t stop fighting until ALL the bans are struck down. https://t.co/DgWtdLv7zT
— ACLU (@ACLU) May 24, 2019
Another anti-choice law—a near total abortion ban in Alabama—was just hit with a lawsuit.
The legal challenge, filed Friday, was brought by the ACLU, ACLU of Alabama, and Planned Parenthood Federation of America.
"This law is blatantly unconstitutional," said Alexa Kolbi-Molinas, senior staff attorney at the ACLU Reproductive Freedom Project, "and the ACLU will not stand by while politicians emboldened by President Trump's anti-abortion agenda exploit our health and our lives for political gain."
