In February 2025, supporters of healthcare for transgender youth demonstrated outside NYU Langone hospital in New York City. Meanwhile, in California, families of transgender youth were relieved to hear their private medical records would not be sent to the Trump administration. This followed a federal judge’s temporary order blocking hospitals from responding to criminal subpoenas from the Department of Justice (DOJ).
For nearly a year, the DOJ sought detailed patient files of transgender youth and personnel files for clinicians involved in transgender healthcare. While the government has not clearly stated its investigation’s aim, it relates to President Trump’s declared intent to end gender-affirming care for minors.
Criminal Subpoenas to Hospitals
The DOJ initially used administrative subpoenas, which many courts subsequently quashed. It then escalated to criminal subpoenas through a grand jury in a Texas federal court. NYU Langone Medical Center publicly shared one such subpoena, noting other hospitals received similar requests. The Trump administration’s subpoena terms transgender healthcare as “sex-rejecting procedures.”
Shannon Minter, legal director of the National Center for LGBTQ Rights, argues that the subpoenas are virtually identical and serve as harassment tactics aimed at discouraging doctors and intimidating parents. “There’s no new basis for seeking these records,” he asserts, describing the effort as a move to frighten and intimidate.
Legal Challenge by Families
Recently, a significant legal victory occurred in California. Six families who received care at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford filed a lawsuit to block the DOJ from obtaining their medical files. A federal judge in the Northern District of California responded by granting a temporary restraining order for the entire state.
A DOJ spokesperson affirmed their commitment to using all resources to “protect innocent children from being mutilated under the guise of ‘care.’”
Parental Relief and Ongoing Legal Battles
Arne Johnson, a parent of a transgender teen in the Bay Area, volunteers with Rainbow Families Action. He expressed relief at the temporary win, despite the ongoing challenges. “It’s like floating on a raft in a stormy ocean,” Johnson said, praising the families who pursued the legal case. “Their efforts are noble when many turn their backs on our families.”
Minter emphasized that the legal challenges against the Trump administration’s attempts have been largely successful, and there is no evidence hospitals have released any records. Nonetheless, many healthcare providers have reduced or halted gender-affirming care programs due to the legal and financial pressure from the administration.
In a related development, a federal judge in Maryland denied a motion to create a class-action suit for families of transgender youth against the administrative subpoenas. Craig Konnoth, a professor specializing in health law and LGBTQ rights at the University of Virginia, warns these unprecedented government actions threaten broader privacy rights. “If successful, the implications go far beyond transgender youth,” he explains.