New York Attorney General Letitia James on Wednesday signed onto a national effort to challenge a Texas law that curtails access to abortion services. 

The measure banning abortions after about six weeks was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court this month and is now being challenged by the federal government. 

“While a handful of states have simply sought to take us backwards in time and do everything possible to undermine Roe v. Wade, we have fought these assaults over and over again, and won,” James said. “To be clear, under Texas’ draconian law, most women seeking an abortion will not even know they are pregnant by the time the clock runs out."

James signed onto a legal brief with two dozen attorneys general from around the country in support of the U.S. Department of Justice's challenge to the Texas law and backed the federal government's motion for a preliminary injunction of the law. 

The AGs' brief contends the Texas law violates a half-century of Supreme Court precedent and sought to circumvent prior rulings on the issue by placing enforcement in the hands of private individuals. 

Texas's law and the subsequent court battles are likely to kick off a heated political debate surrounding abortion and reproductive rights heading into the 2022 elections.