In Boston, a federal judge has stepped in to stop the Justice Department from demanding sweeping records from Boston Children’s Hospital, a leading center for pediatric care and one of the nation’s most visible providers of gender-affirming treatment for transgender youth.
U.S. District Judge Myong Joun ruled that the subpoena issued in June went far beyond the boundaries of legitimate inquiry. In a sharply worded opinion, he said the effort looked less like a neutral investigation and more like a political weapon designed to pressure the hospital, undermine Massachusetts’ protections for gender-affirming care, and frighten patients from seeking it.
“The Government may be correct that it need not provide probable cause for its investigations,” Joun wrote, “but it cannot use its subpoena power to go on a fishing expedition.”
The decision blocks an attempt by the Trump administration—already vocal about its opposition to transgender rights—to expand a crackdown on medical professionals who provide transition-related care to minors. Earlier this year, the Justice Department confirmed that more than 20 doctors and clinics across the country had received similar subpoenas.
Boston Children’s Hospital said it welcomed the ruling, praising the protection it offers to patients, families, and medical staff. The Justice Department, by contrast, offered no comment.
The clash highlights a growing national fault line: state-level protections in places like Massachusetts colliding with federal moves to restrict transgender health care. Trump signed an executive order in January cutting off federal support for transition-related treatments, branding them a “dangerous trend.” That directive was followed by an April memo from Attorney General Pam Bondi ordering investigations into hospitals and drugmakers tied to puberty blockers and hormone therapy.
In striking down the subpoena, Judge Joun—appointed during the Biden administration—underscored that the government sought “astonishingly” broad records without presenting “an iota of suspicion” that the hospital had engaged in fraud or improper conduct.
The ruling marks the first major rebuke of the Justice Department’s escalating campaign, setting the stage for further legal battles over who controls access to transgender healthcare in America.
