US judge blocks Trump from defunding Planned Parenthood

WASHINGTON

A US judge blocked US President Donald Trump's attempts to defund reproductive health care provider Planned Parenthood Monday, ruling that efforts to deprive it of Medicaid funding are likely unconstitutional.

Planned Parenthood had brought a suit against the Trump administration over a provision in the president's sweeping spending and tax cut bill that would halt federal funding for its health center facilities. The law, known as the One Big, Beautiful Bill Act, mandates that payments be ended for one year to abortion providers that received more than $800,000 in Medicaid payments in 2023.

Trump signed the bill into law on July 4, prompting the suit from Planned Parenthood. The organization had argued that the restrictions violate its First Amendment rights and equal protection guarantees under the law.

US District Judge Indira Talwani ruled that Planned Parenthood is "likely to establish that Congress singled them out with punitive intent" when it crafted the legislation, and warned that patients would suffer should the prohibition be allowed to remain in place.

"Patients are likely to suffer adverse health consequences where care is disrupted or unavailable. 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," Talwani wrote in her 58-page ruling.

She was using an acronym to refer to sexually transmitted infections.

The ruling replaces an earlier one issued by Talwani last week, which granted injunctive relief to some Planned Parenthood organizations.

Planned Parenthood officials lauded the ruling.

"As this case continues, patients across the country can still go to their trusted Planned Parenthood provider for care using Medicaid. We will keep fighting this cruel law so that everyone can get birth control, STI testing and treatment, cancer screenings, and other critical health care, no matter their insurance," CEO Alexis McGill Johnson said in a statement.