U.S. Judge Blocks Kennedy’s Move to Restrict Gender-Affirming Care for Minors

A U.S. federal judge has moved to block an effort by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. that sought to restrict healthcare providers from offering gender-affirming care to minors. U.S. District Judge Mustafa Kasubhai, presiding in Eugene, Oregon, said he would grant summary judgment in favor of a coalition of 19 Democratic-led states and Washington D.C., which challenged the policy. The states argued that the declaration exceeded federal authority and violated existing law, a position the judge appeared to support during the hearing.

Kennedy’s December declaration had proposed that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) could bar providers offering such care to minors from receiving federal funding through Medicaid, Medicare, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program. However, Judge Kasubhai rejected the federal government’s attempt to dismiss the lawsuit, signaling that the policy could not move forward in its current form. He indicated that a detailed written ruling would follow and directed both sides to submit further briefs on how the declaration should be halted.

Reacting to the decision, New York Attorney General Letitia James welcomed the ruling, stating it provides clarity and reassurance to patients, families, and healthcare providers. She emphasized that gender-affirming care for transgender youth remains legal and that the federal government cannot penalize those offering it. Meanwhile, the HHS has maintained that the declaration reflected Kennedy’s opinion and did not directly enforce penalties, though it allowed for potential investigations into providers.

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