A US court has halted a sweeping government attempt to restrict transgender healthcare for minors, ruling that Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. acted outside his legal authority.

Judge Mustafa Kasubhai of the District Court for the District of Oregon issued the ruling on Thursday, effectively protecting gender-affirming care protections for thousands of families across the nation.

The judge found that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) failed to follow mandatory administrative procedures when it issued a December declaration that labelled treatments such as puberty blockers as 'unsafe and ineffective' in the US.

The core of the transgender healthcare ruling 2026 rests on a procedural failure by the federal government. In December 2025, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. issued a declaration warning that doctors and hospitals could be excluded from Medicare and Medicaid if they continued to provide gender-affirming treatments to young people. Judge Kasubhai determined that the administration bypassed the legal requirement to provide public notice and allow for a comment period before making such a significant policy shift.

'The notion that "I will go forward and issue a declaration and see if we can get away with it" is not a principle of governance that adheres to the overarching commitment to a democratic republic,' Kasubhai stated. His decision grants clinicians preliminary relief, ensuring you and your doctor can continue making healthcare decisions without the immediate threat of federal punishment.

The Letitia James transgender lawsuit was filed by a coalition of 21 states and the District of Columbia. New York's Attorney General argued that the federal policy was an attempt to 'intimidate and punish' providers who follow established medical standards. Following the ruling, James stated that the victory provides 'needed clarity' to patients and families.

The lawsuit alleged that the HHS declaration was not based on sound science but was instead a tool of coercion. The HHS declaration's unlawful ruling confirms that the government cannot use the threat of withdrawing federal funds to force hospitals to abandon their patients. For now, the ruling ensures that transgender youth healthcare rights remain intact while the broader legal battle continues in the courts.

This decision represents the second RFK Jr HHS legal setback in a matter of days. Earlier this week, a federal judge in Boston blocked changes to vaccine policy, citing similar concerns that the Health Secretary had violated federal procedures. This pattern of legal defeats suggests a growing judicial resistance to the administration's methods of implementing health policy.

While the government argues that adolescents may be too young to consent to life-altering treatments, major medical groups like the American Medical Association (AMA) remain opposed to these restrictions. They argue that the legality of gender dysphoria treatment is supported by evidence-based medicine. The court's intervention has slowed the administration's momentum, forcing a return to the slower, consultative processes of government.

The RFK Jr health policy defeat does not end the debate over transgender care, but it does maintain the status quo for providers and families. The government is expected to appeal the decision, but the preliminary injunction allows hospitals like NYU Langone to resume services that were previously halted due to funding threats.