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A federal judge on Tuesday ruled that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) must restore webpages and medical data that were removed in response to President Trump’s executive order on gender ideology.
U.S. District Judge John Bates granted a temporary restraining order requested by Doctors for America, a nonprofit group that argued the information was essential for patient care and medical research. Bates ruled that the agencies likely acted unlawfully when they deleted medical guidance from public-facing websites.
“It bears emphasizing who ultimately bears the harm of defendants’ actions: everyday Americans, and most acutely, underprivileged Americans, seeking healthcare,” Bates wrote in his decision. He cited testimony from physicians who said that without access to these resources, patients could miss critical treatments, including for life-threatening conditions. His order requires the websites to be restored by 11:59 p.m. Tuesday.
Signed on Trump’s first day in office, the executive order declared that the U.S. recognizes only two sexes, male and female. It directed federal agencies to remove all statements, policies, and communications promoting gender ideology. Following this directive, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) issued a memo ordering agencies to scrub all public-facing materials by Jan. 31. In response, the CDC and FDA removed numerous webpages and data sets, including sexually transmitted infection (STI) treatment guidelines, adult immunization guidance, and CDC’s Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System data. A notice appeared on the CDC’s website stating it was “being modified to comply with President Trump’s executive orders.”
Doctors for America filed its lawsuit on Feb. 4, arguing the agencies violated the Administrative Procedure Act, which governs rulemaking processes, and the 1996 Electronic Freedom of Information Act, which requires federal agencies to provide public access to health data. The group argued that removing medical information hindered doctors’ ability to provide accurate treatment for STIs, adolescent health, and HIV, conduct critical medical research, and respond effectively to public health crises.
Doctors for America provided multiple examples of physicians struggling due to the missing data. A Chicago-based physician treating low-income immigrant families could not access CDC guidance to help address a chlamydia outbreak in a high school. A Yale School of Medicine researcher lost access to CDC treatment recommendations for certain medical conditions. “These doctors’ time and effort are valuable, scarce resources, and being forced to spend them elsewhere makes their jobs harder and their treatment less effective,” Bates wrote.
Judge Bates dismissed the government’s claims that restoring the data would interfere with its work. “There is nothing in either the OPM memorandum or the record to suggest restoring the webpages would pose a burden,” he wrote.
This ruling is part of a string of legal defeats for Trump’s administration. On Monday alone, five different judges issued rulings against Trump’s policies, including his directive on birthright citizenship, a federal funding freeze, and restrictions on medical research grants. As litigation continues, Trump’s executive order on gender ideology is likely to face further legal challenges.
