ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- A federal judge has blocked Florida's controversial new law requiring that welfare applicants pass a drug test to receive benefits.

Judge Mary Scriven issued the temporary injunction Monday. The American Civil Liberties Union had filed a lawsuit against the state last month calling the law unconstitutional. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of a 35-year-old Navy veteran and single father who is finishing his college degree.

Nearly 1,600 applicants have refused to take the test since it began in mid-July. They aren't required to explain why.

Applicants must pay $25 to $35 for the test and are reimbursed by the state if they pass.

The ACLU said Florida was the first to enact the law since Michigan tried more than a decade ago.