Judge blocks Trump administration's efforts to defund Planned Parenthood
Share and Follow

A federal judge on Monday ruled Planned Parenthood clinics nationwide must continue to be reimbursed for Medicaid funding as the nation’s largest abortion provider fights President Donald Trump’s administration over efforts to defund the organization in his signature tax legislation.

The new order replaces a previous edict handed down by U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani in Boston last week. Talwani initially granted a preliminary injunction specifically blocking the government from cutting Medicaid payments to Planned Parenthood members that didn’t provide abortion care or didn’t meet a threshold of at least $800,000 in Medicaid reimbursements in a given year.

“Patients are likely to suffer adverse health consequences where care is disrupted or unavailable,” Talwani wrote in her Monday order. “In particular, restricting Members’ ability to provide healthcare services threatens an increase in unintended pregnancies and attendant complications because of reduced access to effective contraceptives, and an increase in undiagnosed and untreated STIs.”

A provision in Trump’s tax bill instructed the federal government to end Medicaid payments for one year to abortion providers that received more than $800,000 from Medicaid in 2023, even to those like Planned Parenthood that also offer medical services like contraception, pregnancy tests and STD testing.

In its lawsuit, Planned Parenthood had argued that they would be at risk of closing nearly 200 clinics in 24 states if they are cut off from Medicaid funds. They estimated this would result in more than 1 million patients losing care.

“We’re suing the Trump administration over this targeted attack on Planned Parenthood health centers and the patients who rely on them for care,” said Planned Parenthood’s president and CEO Alexis McGill Johnson. “This case is about making sure that patients who use Medicaid as their insurance to get birth control, cancer screenings, and STI testing and treatment can continue to do so at their local Planned Parenthood health center, and we will make that clear in court.”

The federal department of health did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Previously, the department said it strongly disagreed with the judge’s initial order that allowed some Planned Parenthood members to receive Medicaid funding.

“States should not be forced to fund organizations that have chosen political advocacy over patient care,” said the department’s communication director, Andrew Nixon. Doing so, he said, “undermines state flexibility” and “concerns about accountability.”

Copyright © 2025 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

Share and Follow
You May Also Like
Bowen Yang breaks down crying as he leaves SNL after seven years

Emotional Farewell: Bowen Yang’s Tearful Goodbye After 7 Memorable Years on SNL

Bowen Yang was overcome with emotion during his final sketch on “Saturday…
Sick new details about Jeffrey Epstein's crimes revealed after DOJ releases files from unsealed grand jury materials

Newly Unsealed Grand Jury Documents Unveil Disturbing Details of Jeffrey Epstein’s Crimes

Recent documents released by the U.S. Department of Justice shed light on…
Palm Coast man sentenced to 30 years for felony child sex charges, police say

Palm Coast Man Receives 30-Year Sentence for Felony Child Sex Offenses: A Case Overview

In Bunnell, Florida, a man named Gregory Smith has been handed a…
22-year-old man dies after Birmingham shooting, suspect in custody

Tragic Birmingham Shooting Claims Life of 22-Year-Old; Suspect Apprehended

In Birmingham, Alabama, a suspect has been apprehended following a deadly shooting…
US launches retaliatory strikes in Syria

U.S. Conducts Strategic Counterattacks in Syria

The U.S. military carried out targeted strikes on numerous Islamic State locations…
Dec. 21 marks the darkest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere

December 21: Northern Hemisphere Experiences Its Shortest Day of the Year

This year’s winter solstice brings with it some fascinating celestial phenomena worth…
Pages from a totally redacted New York grand jury file into Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, released by the U.S. Justice Department, is photographed Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jon Elswick)

New Epstein Documents Reveal Limited Details on How He Escaped Major Legal Consequences

NEW YORK (AP) — The Justice Department has unveiled a highly anticipated…
Palmdale Street shooting on Jacksonville's Northwest side leaves man dead

Tragic Turn at Arlington House Party: 16-Year-Old Among 5 Injured in Shooting After Heated Argument

In the early hours of Saturday, a large house party in Jacksonville’s…