A federal judge appointed by President Donald Trump has delivered one of the sharpest judicial rebukes yet against the administration’s campaign targeting transgender healthcare for minors — accusing the Department of Justice of misleading courts, abusing prosecutorial power, and pursuing what she described as an unlawful effort to obtain deeply sensitive medical records.
U.S. District Judge Mary McElroy issued the blistering opinion Wednesday night while blocking the DOJ from enforcing a sweeping subpoena against Rhode Island Hospital. The federal government had sought years of confidential records connected to transgender youth receiving gender-affirming care.
According to court filings, the subpoena demanded extensive personal information, including birthdates, Social Security numbers, addresses, psychological evaluations, intake documents, guardian consent forms, and treatment records tied to minors receiving puberty blockers, hormone therapy, or related care.
Judge McElroy did not simply reject the request on procedural grounds. She openly accused the Justice Department of misconduct.
“This reckless disregard for the duty of candor owed to a federal court is appalling,” McElroy wrote after concluding that DOJ attorneys had “misrepresented and withheld information” during the legal battle over the records.
The opinion also accused the federal government of manipulating the judicial process by attempting to shift enforcement efforts into more politically favorable courts after facing resistance elsewhere. The DOJ had argued the subpoenas were part of investigations into possible healthcare fraud connected to gender-affirming care.
McElroy appeared unconvinced by that explanation.
In the ruling, she pointed directly to the administration’s public rhetoric surrounding transgender healthcare — including repeated claims by federal officials and allied politicians that gender-affirming care constitutes “abuse.” The judge noted that administration officials had publicly celebrated hospitals that suspended or restricted care for transgender youth under political pressure.
That context matters.
Because once the federal government publicly declares an entire category of medical treatment illegitimate, attempts to collect the names and medical histories of the children receiving that care stop looking neutral. They begin looking like intimidation.
The ruling arrives amid a broader escalation by the Trump administration targeting providers of gender-affirming care across the country. Multiple hospitals have reportedly received federal subpoenas or investigative demands, while organizations connected to transgender healthcare standards and research have also faced increasing scrutiny from federal agencies.
Several courts have already expressed concern that these investigations may be politically motivated rather than rooted in legitimate law enforcement needs.
What makes this ruling especially notable is who issued it.
This was not a judge appointed by a Democratic president or a longtime civil rights advocate on the federal bench. This was a Trump-appointed federal judge warning that the Department of Justice had acted in ways she considered deceptive, reckless, and fundamentally incompatible with the standards expected of federal prosecutors.
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And at a time when transgender people are increasingly discussed as political talking points rather than human beings, the ruling serves as a reminder that transgender youth are still children — children whose private medical records and healthcare decisions are entitled to the same constitutional protections as anyone else.
For months, advocates warned that these investigations were less about fraud and more about building fear around transgender healthcare itself. Judge McElroy’s opinion suggests the courts may be starting to recognize that distinction as well.
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