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By Amanda Castro
Associate News Editor
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A federal judge has temporarily barred the Trump administration from seizing transgender patients’ medical records from New York hospitals, halting what she called an “egregious” and unconstitutional overreach.
The ruling blocks federal prosecutors in Texas from accessing years of highly sensitive health data while the court weighs whether the subpoenas were issued in bad faith. The decision immediately protects transgender patients, their families, and providers—and signals that broader limits on the administration’s investigative tactics may follow.
Judge Katherine Polk Failla, an Obama appointee, issued the temporary restraining order one day after oral arguments, sharply criticizing the Justice Department for using criminal probes to obtain records that courts had already rejected through civil channels. She described the government’s pursuit of the identities and treatment histories of a “uniquely vulnerable group” as “most egregious,” adding that the administration had, from its earliest days, sought to “demonize and eradicate an entire population of transgender individuals.”
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Judge Says DOJ Violated Constitutional Protections
Failla ruled that the subpoenas issued by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas violated the Fourth and Fifth Amendments. She found the government’s demand for six years of medical records—covering minors, parents, and young adults—was not tied to any legitimate investigative need and instead appeared designed to circumvent prior judicial denials.
The subpoenas were linked to a purported probe into “misbranding” of FDA‑approved medications used in gender‑affirming care. A special agent from the FDA’s Kansas City criminal office initiated the request.
How New York Hospitals Became Targets
According to the lawsuit, NYU Langone Hospitals was among several institutions served with a grand jury subpoena on May 7. Failla noted that at least 40 patients at NYU Langone alone received gender‑affirming care between January 2020 and May 2026—the period covered by the subpoenas.
Omar Gonzalez‑Pagan, counsel for the plaintiffs, called the ruling “a victory for the basic privacy of our clients and all families like theirs across New York City,” adding that the government’s tactics “should send chills down the spine of every American.”
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Restrictions and Federal Pressure
The ruling arrives as transgender healthcare faces sweeping restrictions nationwide:
- Twenty‑seven states have limited or banned gender‑affirming care for minors, a power upheld by the Supreme Court in 2025.
- Major medical associations say such care is medically necessary for youth with gender dysphoria.
- The Trump administration has used regulatory authority to block access to care and has pressured hospitals, many of which are reliant on federal funding, by demanding private medical records.
Failla said the administration’s earliest directives signaled an intent to target transgender Americans, framing the subpoenas as part of that broader effort.
What Comes Next in the Case
Failla granted class‑action status to the plaintiffs and scheduled a July 8 hearing to determine whether to convert the temporary restraining order into a preliminary injunction. If granted, the injunction would more firmly bar the government from accessing the records while the lawsuit proceeds.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Gabe Whisnant and Sam Wilson.
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