Washington-based federal judge block gender affirming care executive order

A second federal judge has blocked President Donald Trump’s order aimed at stopping medical institutions from providing gender-affirming care to those under 19 years old.

Judge Lauren King of the Western District of Washington in Seattle issued a temporary restraining order to block the executive order Friday morning, becoming the second federal judge to do so in as many days. On Thursday, a federal judge in Maryland issued a 14-day pause in a case brought by transgender youth and parents.

Standing outside the federal courthouse in Seattle, Washington Attorney General Nick Brown said the order was “illegal and unconstitutional.”

“What we received today is but step one of ensuring that people have the healthcare they are entitled to,” Brown said. “But as we saw from the Department of Justice, and as we’ve seen from this president time and time again, they will continue to oppose what we are fighting for today.”

The lawsuit from Brown challenged an order Trump signed on Jan. 28 that stated “it is the policy of the United States that it will not fund, sponsor, promote, assist, or support the so-called ‘transition’ of a child from one sex to another, and it will rigorously enforce all laws that prohibit or limit these destructive and life-altering procedures.”

Trump’s order directed federal agencies to ensure institutions that receive federal funds or grants end gender affirming care for transgender minors, which the order described as stopping “the chemical and surgical mutilation of children.” Brown’s office said the directive could block hundreds of millions in federal grants to state medical schools and hospitals.

In a Feb. 3 news release, the White House said the order was “already having its intended effect” after several hospitals announced they would temporarily pause gender-affirming care.

“President Trump will always protect American children,” the White House said in the statement.

On Friday, Brown encouraged hospitals “to get back to work” and “continue to provide the medically necessary care for the children.”

The court order, Brown said, provides medical providers in Washington with “assurance that they can continue to provide healthcare.”

Brown said Friday that the Attorney General’s office will now seek a preliminary injunction in the case.

Trump has signed three other executive orders directed at transgender people during his second term, which included directing the federal government to only recognize two genders and banning transgender soldiers from openly serving in the United States military.

Last week, Trump signed an executive order that banned transgender students from competing in women’s and girls’ sports in K-12 schools.

During a media event Thursday, Gov. Bob Ferguson said he had not been in “direct contact” with the Washington Interscholastic Athletics Association to discuss how to interpret or implement the executive order.

“They put policies in place, and I trust them to make good decisions moving forward in light of Washington state law that provides civil rights protections for more individuals than are at the federal level, including those based on gender and gender identity,” Ferguson said. “They’re the folks who will be making those decisions.”