MINNESOTA, USA — Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, alongside AGs from Washington and Oregon, sued to halt President Donald Trump’s executive order Friday that would criminalize and end federal funding to medical institutions that provide gender-affirming care to people under age 19.
According to a press release from AG Ellison, Trump’s order states that criminal enforcement will be used for medical professionals and patients who use gender-affirming care. The order also directs the Department of Justice to investigate Minnesota and other states with legislation that prohibits children from being removed from their parents’ care if they are provided with gender-affirming care.
In the lawsuit, the AGs argue Trump’s order violates the Fifth Amendment by singling out transgender people and children for mistreatment and discrimination. Ellison added in a press release that the president cannot overrule laws passed by Congress and criminalize Minnesota medical practices.
Trump’s order would also cut off federal research and education grants to medical institutions like hospitals and schools if they provide gender-affirming care to anyone under the age of 19.
In the lawsuit, a medical professional wrote a testimony as follows:
“I do not believe that the government should be dictating whether trained medical professionals can provide evidence based medical care to their patients. It is problematic at best and killing people at worst. I am terrified that blocking gender-affirming care for minors will cause a mental health crisis and an increase in suicides in our adolescent population,” the provider wrote. “My patients are already feeling the effects of the threats the government is making to deny them access to the medication and medical care they need. I have already seen an uptick in depression and anxiety in many of my patients generally, but especially among my gender-affirming care patients.”