Judge blocks Trump’s ban on federal funding for trans surgeries on minors in ruling

A U.S. District Judge has stepped in to block two controversial executive orders from President Donald Trump that aimed to ban federal funding for transgender surgeries and chemical treatments for minors who are experiencing gender dysphoria.

Judge Lauren King, appointed by President Biden and working in the Western District of Washington, issued a preliminary injunction against these orders last Friday.

Seattle Judge Lauren King has banned Trump’s executive order prohibiting hospitals that perform trans surgeries on children to receive federal funding. She has ruled that the US government must pay the providers of so-called gender affirming care to perform the life-altering… pic.twitter.com/fLSrPkdco5

— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) March 1, 2025

In her decision, Judge King emphasized that these executive orders overstepped the boundaries set by Congress, infringing on its authority to decide how federal funds should be allocated and utilized.

She argued that the orders also violated the equal protection guarantees under the Fifth Amendment, which mandates that individuals cannot be treated differently based solely on their gender or transgender status without a compelling justification.

King highlighted that her ruling wasn’t focused on the specific policies put forth by Trump but was more about maintaining the constitutional principles that govern the separation of powers.

Washington’s Attorney General, Nick Brown, praised the ruling and was quick to point out what he sees as Trump’s blatant disregard for constitutional norms.

Brown stated, “But once again, states and the courts have stepped up to affirm the rule of law and the values that hold us together as a nation.”

In January, Trump introduced Executive Order 14168, labeled “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government,” which redefined “sex” in strictly biological terms.

This order instructed the Department of Health and Human Services to provide specific guidance based on these definitions in a timely manner.

A few weeks after that, he followed up with Executive Order 14187, titled “Protecting Children from Chemical and Surgical Mutilation,” which restricted federal funding for gender-affirming procedures for anyone under 19.

This order made bold statements about children regretting surgeries that, in the view of the Trump administration, led to long-term consequences such as infertility and other complex health issues.

In response to the orders, multiple states, led by Washington, filed a lawsuit, standing alongside some unnamed medical professionals who specialize in these care options.

Judge King had previously issued a temporary restraining order against the executive orders, while another federal judge in Maryland had also blocked them as part of a separate case initiated by families of transgender minors.