A law in Mississippi that bans women from receiving abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy was temporarily blocked Tuesday by a federal judge.

The Associated Press reported that U.S District Judge Carlton Reeves granted a temporary restraining order on Tuesday. It was sought by the state's only clinic that offers abortions.

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Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant (R) signed the bill — the nation's most restrictive abortion ban — into law earlier this week.

The law bans abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, down from a 20-week restriction already on Mississippi's books.

The measure took effect immediately. It featured some exceptions, including if a woman's life or a "major bodily function" is threatened or if the fetus has a health problem that would mean it likely wouldn't survive outside the womb.

It doesn't include an exception in cases of rape of incest.

"As I have repeatedly said, I want Mississippi to be the safest place in America for an unborn child," Bryant said earlier this month.

Abortion-rights activists called the law unconstitutional because it limits abortions before fetuses can survive outside the womb.