The 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals announced Thursday that it not prohibit Texas' new law that bars abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy while it considers an appeal of a judge's order blocking it, CNN reports.

The Texas law bans abortions upon detection of fetal cardiac activity, which typically occurs around six weeks into a pregnancy, usually before a woman knows she is pregnant.

The controversial ban, which went into effect at the start of September, has been the source of much debate in court.

The Justice Department challenged the law in federal court, US District Judge Robert Pitman on October 6 blocked the ban. Texas appealed, and two days later a three judge-panel of the appeals court put a brief administrative hold on the order.

The hold has now been extended by the appellate panel and the hold will continue as Pitman's order is considered.

The vote of the panel was 2-1.

Appellate Judges Catharina Haynes, a George W. Bush appointee, and James Ho, a Donald Trump appointee, voted to allow the law to remain in effect. Judge Carl Stewart, a Bill Clinton appointee, dissented.

The Justice Department is expected to turn to the Supreme Court with a request to halt the law.