A federal judge in Oregon has put the brakes on a key Trump administration move targeting gender transition care for minors. US District Judge Mustafa Kasubhai determined on Thursday that Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. exceeded his authority when he issued a December declaration asserting such treatments "do not meet professionally recognized standards" and could cost providers Medicare and Medicaid funding, reports the New York Times. The decision temporarily shields hospitals and clinics after 21 Democratic-led states sued, arguing the declaration tried to impose a national medical standard without following required rulemaking procedures.
Attorneys for the federal government had framed Kennedy's document as a nonbinding opinion, comparing it to an editorial, and said no provider had actually lost federal funds. Kasubhai pushed back on that, criticizing what he described as a "see if we can get away with it" approach to governance. The ruling comes as states and medical groups remain deeply split over puberty blockers and hormone therapies for minors; 27 Republican-led states ban such care, while most major US medical societies support use of certain treatments following guidelines.
New York Attorney General Letitia James called the ruling a confirmation that care for transgender youth remains legal in the plaintiff states. "Today's win breaks through the noise and gives some needed clarity to patients, families, and providers," she said in a statement, per the AP. "The federal government cannot intimidate or punish the providers who offer them." She added, per Politico: "So much of the conversation around transgender health care has lost sight of the real people harmed by the federal government's attacks." Legal experts expect an appeal, according to the Times.
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