Federal Judge Blocks Trump's Orders on Youth Gender-Affirming Care in Four States

The ruling halts enforcement of executive orders cutting funding to institutions providing gender-affirming care, citing constitutional violations.

U.S. District Court Judge Lauren King issued a preliminary injunction preventing the Trump administration from enforcing executive orders targeting gender-affirming care for transgender youth in Washington, Oregon, Minnesota, and Colorado.
The orders sought to withhold federal funding from medical institutions offering treatments such as puberty blockers and hormone therapy to individuals under 19.
Judge King ruled the orders unconstitutional, citing violations of equal protection under the Fifth Amendment and Congress' authority to appropriate federal funding.
The executive orders also mandated federal recognition of only two biological sexes, a policy criticized for denying the existence of transgender individuals.
Legal challenges to similar policies across the U.S. continue, with potential for the issue to reach the Supreme Court.