Chicago – June 25, 2026
A federal judge has temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s efforts to obtain medical records of transgender patients who received gender-affirming care at New York hospitals, marking a significant legal setback for the Justice Department’s investigation into transgender healthcare.
U.S. District Judge Katherine Polk Failla issued a temporary restraining order preventing federal prosecutors from enforcing subpoenas seeking years of sensitive patient records from hospitals, including NYU Langone Health. The subpoenas were part of a broader federal probe launched after President Donald Trump directed investigations into gender-affirming treatments for minors.
In her ruling, Failla said the administration’s actions were likely unconstitutional and infringed on privacy rights protected by the Fourth and Fifth Amendments. She criticized what she described as an effort to obtain deeply private information from a vulnerable group without consent.
A hearing is scheduled for July 8 to determine whether a longer-term injunction should be granted. Civil rights groups hailed the decision as a victory for patient privacy and transgender rights.
