Judge Blocks Trump’s Move to Cut Medicaid for Clinics

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A federal judge in Boston has reaffirmed her decision to block enforcement of a measure that would have ended Medicaid reimbursements for Planned Parenthood Federation of America clinics, a move that supporters say was necessary to protect taxpayers, but opponents argue targets abortion providers unfairly.

U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani, appointed under former Democratic President Barack Obama, declined the Trump administration’s request to lift her temporary restraining order, which was issued shortly after Planned Parenthood filed its lawsuit. The provision in question was included in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, recently approved by the Republican-controlled Congress. It bars Medicaid, the federal-state health insurance program for low-income Americans, from reimbursing certain nonprofit health centers that provide abortion services or are affiliated with organizations that do.

The Trump administration described the restraining order as “highly unusual,” criticizing the lack of a detailed explanation at the outset. In response, Judge Talwani issued a revised order clarifying that Planned Parenthood was likely to prevail on its claim that the funding ban violated the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. Specifically, she found the law infringed on the right of Planned Parenthood affiliates to associate with their parent organization to advocate for reproductive health policies, regardless of whether individual clinics perform abortions.

Planned Parenthood Federation of America, which operates nearly 600 health centers across the country, warned that the funding cutoff could force almost 200 facilities in 24 states to close, disrupting care for thousands of patients. The Department of Justice and Planned Parenthood declined to comment on the latest order.

While proponents of the legislation argue that taxpayer dollars should never indirectly subsidize abortion providers, critics contend the law was crafted to single out Planned Parenthood and its affiliates for political reasons. Judge Talwani cited precedent from a 1984 Supreme Court decision affirming that the right to engage in protected activities includes a right to associate for political and social objectives.

The court has scheduled further arguments on the matter for July 18.