The Trump administration‘s efforts to obtain medical records of transgender youth in New York City have been temporarily halted by a federal judge. This decision comes as a relief to many families and advocates who have been fighting to protect the privacy and rights of transgender individuals.
The case centers around gender-affirming care provided to minors at major healthcare institutions in New York City, including NYU Langone Health and the Mount Sinai Health System. The Department of Justice (DOJ) had issued subpoenas seeking identifying information and sensitive health records of patients who received treatment for gender dysphoria between January 1, 2026, and May 5, 2026.
Judge Failla’s Ruling and Its Implications
U.S. District Judge Katherine Polk Failla issued a temporary restraining order, preventing the DOJ from seeking, receiving, using, or disseminating the requested information. The judge also prohibited NYU Langone Health from turning over the protected records. This ruling provisionally certifies a class covering all individuals who received treatment for gender dysphoria as minors at New York City health care institutions during the specified period.
Judge Failla found that the patients would face irreparable harm without intervention and that they were substantially likely to prevail on claims that the subpoenas violated their Fourth and Fifth Amendment rights. She also concluded that disclosure by NYU Langone would likely breach New York’s physician-patient confidentiality protections.
The Broader Context of the Trump Administration’s Policies
The ruling follows months of pressure on New York hospitals by the Trump administration. In, NYU Langone ended its Transgender Youth Health Program after the administration threatened federal funding for institutions providing gender-affirming care to minors. Mount Sinai curtailed care shortly thereafter. In May 2026, NYU Langone notified patients that federal prosecutors in Texas had subpoenaed records and provider identities, prompting three families and two young adults to sue before the hospital could disclose the information.
Since returning to office for a second term, President Trump has led a crackdown on transgender protections. On his first day back in the White House, he issued an executive order directing the federal government to reject the idea of gender and only recognize two sexes: male and female. This was followed by a series of policy changes to restrict transgender access and services. On January 28, 2026, he signed a directive to restrict gender-affirming care for transgender youth, calling on the DOJ to prioritize investigations and take appropriate action to end such healthcare practices.
The Legal Battle and Future Implications
The DOJ has argued that the records are connected to an investigation into possible drug ‘misbranding.’ However, plaintiffs contend that the inquiry is a pretext for the administration’s campaign to eliminate gender-affirming care. Lambda Legal attorney Omar Gonzalez-Pagan stated, ‘Using subpoenas to attain the identities and sensitive health information of transgender young people. should send chills down the spine of every American.’
Chase Strangio, co-director of the ACLU’s LGBTQ & HIV Rights Project, emphasized that families should be able to trust doctors to protect their private information from ‘impermissible and harassing demands.’ The ACLU wrote on Bluesky, ‘BREAKING: A federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s bid to seize the medical records of trans youth. We’ll continue the fight to defend trans youth’s right to privacy and end this harassment for good.’
At least eight federal courts have previously blocked similar administrative subpoenas, according to Lambda Legal. The DOJ then turned to criminal grand jury subpoenas issued from Texas. The temporary order protects patients while Judge Failla considers longer-term relief.
The current restraining order is scheduled to last for 14 days, with a follow-up hearing set for July 8 to decide whether to issue a preliminary injunction to extend the block on the DOJ’s access to confidential medical records. This legal battle highlights the ongoing struggle for transgender rights and the importance of protecting sensitive health information.
