Trump administration drops appeal for transgender youth medical records

The Trump administration is abandoning its legal effort to obtain sensitive medical records from transgender youth who received gender-affirming care at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. Justice Department attorneys requested that the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals voluntarily dismiss the government’s appeal of lower-court rulings that had previously blocked subpoenas seeking patient information.

The legal dispute began after the Justice Department sought extensive documentation, including medical records, intake forms, and parental authorizations related to hormone therapy and puberty blockers. A federal judge previously blocked the subpoenas, describing the government's conduct as “unprecedented” and noting that its rhetoric reflected “callous indifference, if not abject cruelty.”

The Justice Department did not provide a specific reason for dropping the case in its brief filing. The families involved in the challenge do not oppose the dismissal. While the appeals court must still formally approve the request, the move signals the end of one of the administration's most prominent legal battles regarding federal investigative powers used against providers of gender-affirming care for minors.