A federal judge heard arguments last week on whether a Texas law that bans almost all abortions in Texas should be halted while its constitutionality is being questioned.

At issue is a restrictive abortion law that uses a very novel legal approach—deputizing private citizens to enforce it, instead of the state. The Texas Heartbeat Act has had a chilling effect, with most of Texas’ 24 abortion clinics no longer offering abortions after six weeks of pregnancy.