A US federal judge has blocked President Donald Trump’s attempt to defund Planned Parenthood, ruling that efforts to strip the organisation of Medicaid funding are likely unconstitutional.
The case stems from a provision in Trump’s recently signed spending and tax bill, known as the One Big, Beautiful Bill Act, which sought to halt federal Medicaid payments to abortion providers that received more than $800,000 in 2023.
Planned Parenthood filed suit shortly after Trump signed the legislation into law on July 4.
In her ruling on Monday, US District Judge Indira Talwani said Planned Parenthood is "likely to establish that Congress singled them out with punitive intent" when drafting the measure.
She warned that allowing the ban to remain in place could harm patients and restrict access to vital healthcare services.
"Patients are likely to suffer adverse health consequences where care is disrupted or unavailable," Talwani wrote.
