US judge blocks Trump subpoenas into transgender care at New York hospitals

The Trump administration has called for a probe into transgender healthcare, leading it to subpoena private medical records.A United States federal judge has blocked the Department of Justice (DOJ) from issuing subpoenas for the medical records of transgender patients who received gender-affirming care as minors from providers in New York.On Wednesday, District Judge Katherine Polk Failla issued a temporary restraining order to prevent access to the confidential files.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3US court upholds injunction against Trump policy banning transgender troopslist 2 of 3US federal employees file complaint against Trump’s anti-transgender policylist 3 of 3Olympics align with Trump as transgender athletes banned from women’s gamesend of listHer decision comes after a hospital disclosed that it had been subpoenaed by Justice Department officials, and several families and patients filed a lawsuit in response.Failla noted that the subpoenas, undertaken by the administration of President Donald Trump, could constitute a violation of patient privacy.“Whether by accident or by design, the administration’s policies vis-a-vis transgender persons embody a concerted effort to obtain deeply private information about an entire class of individuals without their knowledge or consent,” the judge said in her ruling.Since returning to office for a second term, Trump has led a crackdown on transgender protections.On his first day back in the White House, the Republican leader issued an executive order directing the federal government to reject the idea of gender and only recognise two sexes: male and female.He followed that order with a series of policy changes to restrict transgender access and services. On January 28, 2025, he signed a directive to restrict gender-affirming care for transgender youth.As part of that order, he also called on the Department of Justice to “prioritize investigations and take appropriate action to end” such healthcare practices.