U.S. judge blocks subpoenas for transgender-care records at New York hospitals

A federal judge in Manhattan issued a temporary restraining order on June 24, 2026, blocking the Justice Department from seeking, receiving, using, retaining, or sharing identifying and sensitive health information covered by subpoenas tied to transgender care at New York hospitals. The order is temporary, but it gives patients and providers immediate protection while the case continues.

The case, Coe v. Blanche, was brought by transgender youth, parents, and young adults represented by Lambda Legal and other civil-rights groups. NYU Langone says it received a grand jury subpoena on May 7, 2026, seeking records for patients under 18 who received gender-affirming care from 2020 through 2026, plus provider names and related details.

What the order does

The order also bars NYU defendants from producing the covered patient information in response to the subpoena, and it provisionally certified a class so the protection is not limited to the named plaintiffs. The judge said the plaintiffs had shown a strong enough case that the subpoenas may violate constitutional privacy and search-and-seizure protections.

What happens next

The next court date is July 8, when the judge will hear more evidence before deciding whether to convert the temporary order into a preliminary injunction. That matters because a preliminary injunction could keep the subpoenas blocked longer, while a denial could let the government renew its effort. For now, the records stay protected under the June 24 order.

Beyond New York, the case is being watched as a test of how far prosecutors can go when using criminal process to seek sensitive medical records tied to gender-affirming care.

Sources

• Southern District of New York TRO in Coe v. Blanche
• Associated Press report on the temporary restraining order
• NYU Langone patient notice on the subpoena