The Justice Department is suing Georgia over election restrictions.

WASHINGTON — The Justice Department is suing Georgia over the state’s new election law, alleging Republican state lawmakers rushed through a sweeping overhaul with an intent to deny Black voters equal access to the ballot.

“Where we believe the civil rights of Americans have been violated, we will not hesitate to act,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said Friday in announcing the lawsuit.

Republican lawmakers in the state pushed back, pledging a defense of Georgia’s law.

The Biden administration’s move comes two weeks after Garland said his department would scrutinize new laws in Republican-controlled states that tighten voting rules. He said the federal government would take action if prosecutors found unlawful activity.

The suit also comes as pressure grows on the Biden administration to respond to Gop-backed laws being pushed in the states this year. A Democratic effort to overhaul election laws was blocked this week by Republican senators.

As of mid-may, 22 laws had passed in at least 14 states, according to the Brennan Center for Justice, which researches voting and supports expanded access.

Justice Department officials hinted that prosecutors were looking at other voting laws across the United States and warned that the government would not stand by if there were illegal attempts to restrict voter access.

Georgia’s secretary of state, Brad Raffensperger, said he would contest the suit.

“The Biden administration has been spreading lies about Georgia’s election law for months,” Raffensperger said in a statement. “It is no surprise that they would operationalize their lies with the full force of the federal government. I look forward to meeting them, and beating them, in court.”