A federal judge has blocked parts of two executive orders recently issued by President Donald Trump that seek to restrict gender-affirming care.
The ruling followed a lawsuit filed earlier this month on behalf of families with transgender or non-binary children who allege their healthcare has already been compromised by the president’s orders.
A national group representing the families of LGBTQ+ individuals and a doctors’ organisation are also plaintiffs in the lawsuit.
At the conclusion of a hearing on Thursday, US District Judge Brendan Hurson ruled that the orders were issued without authority and constitute illegal and unconstitutional discrimination.
“Stopping care in the middle of receiving it—any care, really—casts doubt on whether the goals are truly to protect the recipients of the care,” said Hurson, an appointee of former President Biden.
There have been a series of court orders across the US temporarily blocking President Trump’s actions, including those restricting birthright citizenship, transferring incarcerated transgender individuals, and several others.
With Hurson’s new ruling, various federal agencies are temporarily prohibited from withholding or conditioning funding based on a healthcare facility providing gender-affirming care anywhere in the country.
