A federal court judge late last week threw out a new Texas anti-abortion law that would have closed more than a dozen clinics in the state.

The sweeping anti-abortion measure, signed into law by Republican Governor Rick Perry in 2013, required abortion facilities to meet hospital-level operating standards, which supporters said would protect women's health.

Under the law, which would have gone into effect today, only seven out of 19 abortion facilities would have been left open.

Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas Surgical Health Services sued the State of Texas claiming the law was unconstitutional as it places an undue burden on a woman's decision before fetal viability.

In his 21-page ruling, U.S. District Judge, Lee Yeakel sided with the clinics that sued over the measure, writing, "The overall effect of the provisions is to create an impermissible obstacle as applied to all women seeking a previability abortion."

"While we celebrate this victory, it is critical to remember that this is one battle in an ongoing war and we must remain vigilant," said Merle Hoffman, advisory board member of the Abortion Rights Freedom Ride.

Critics of the law have called it a backdoor effort to outlaw abortions, which are a constitutional right since the Roe v. Wade ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1973.

"The State disagrees with the court's ruling and will seek immediate relief from the Fifth Circuit, (U.S. Circuit Court in New Orleans) which has already upheld the law once," said a spokesperson for U.S. Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, a Republican who is the favorite to become governor in the November election.

Running against Abbott is Democrat Wendy Davis, whose 13-hour filibuster last summer temporarily blocked the bill in the state Senate as reported by Latin Post.

Running for Lieutenant Governor is Latina Leticia Van De Puffe.

Latin Post reported Latinas would have been deeply affected by the legislation, as 68 percent of Latinas believe in a woman's right to choose and 40 percent of Texas' population is Hispanic.

"The anti-abortion movement will not stop until they have criminalized all abortions for all women in all circumstances. The emergency facing women is not over. Now is the time to redouble our efforts," said Sunsara Taylor from Abortion Rights Freedom Rider, who was arrested this month protesting HB2.

According to the Guttmacher Institute, a nonprofit reproductive health organization, 47,000 women around the world die each year from unsafe abortions and millions more are injured.