A federal judge has blocked the US Department of Justice from obtaining confidential records of transgender children from Rhode Island Hospital, the state's largest provider of gender-affirming care for minors. The ruling by US District Judge Mary McElroy on Wednesday is the latest in a series of legal setbacks for the Trump administration's efforts to subpoena such information from hospitals across the country.
Judge McElroy criticised the DOJ's conduct, stating it had 'proven unworthy of this trust at every point in this case.' She acknowledged the department's 'immense prosecutorial authority and discretion' but said it could no longer be trusted to wield its power fairly. The subpoenas had demanded birth dates, Social Security numbers, addresses, and detailed medical records for all patients who received transgender care over the past five years.
The DOJ argued the information was needed to investigate potential fraud or unlawful off-label drug promotion, specifically regarding puberty blockers and hormone therapy. However, Judge McElroy rejected this, noting that the administration had publicly characterised gender-affirming care for minors as abuse and celebrated when hospitals curtailed such programmes due to the subpoena campaign.
The ruling follows similar decisions by at least seven other federal courts that have quashed or limited the broad civil subpoenas issued to over 20 doctors and hospitals last summer. Meanwhile, 11 families have filed a class-action lawsuit in Maryland to prevent the DOJ from acquiring these documents, and NYU Langone in New York has confirmed receiving a grand jury subpoena from federal prosecutors in Texas for similar information.
Gender-affirming care, which includes counselling, puberty blockers, and hormone therapy, is supported by most major medical groups for individuals with gender dysphoria. At least 27 states have enacted laws restricting or banning such care for minors, while others have adopted protections for access to transgender healthcare.
