A Texas federal prosecutor's office has demanded records from NYU Langone Health, one of New York City's largest hospital networks, seeking information about minors who received gender-affirming care over the past six years. The subpoena, issued May 7, also requests the names of medical providers involved in that treatment.
The action marks the Trump administration's escalating effort to track and constrain gender-affirming medical care for children nationwide. It follows an executive order signed in January directing federally funded institutions to stop what the order described as "chemical and surgical mutilation of children."
NYU Langone acknowledged receiving the subpoena in a statement posted on its website, noting that it was one of several institutions targeted. "We understand that these developments may be concerning to our patients, providers and others," the hospital system said. "Please know that NYU Langone takes the privacy of your protected health information very seriously and we are evaluating our response to the subpoena."
New York state law requires hospitals to notify affected patients and their healthcare providers 30 days before disclosing protected health information in response to a subpoena. The hospital must also inform the New York attorney general.
The subpoena comes months after NYU Langone halted its transgender youth health program entirely. In February 2026, the hospital announced it was discontinuing the program following the departure of its medical director. Hospital spokesperson Steve Ritea attributed the closure to both personnel changes and "the current regulatory environment."
The move had been preceded by the hospital's initial decision to stop accepting new trans youth patients following Trump's January executive order. That decision drew swift criticism from LGBTQ advocates who demanded the hospital resume services.
The disruption has rippled across the country. Trans patients whose appointments were canceled at various institutions last year reported struggling to locate alternative providers, often requiring travel to other states. The barriers have been particularly acute for families of color and those relying on state insurance programs, which limit provider choices.
Harper Seldin, a senior staff attorney at the ACLU, described the access crisis last year: "It's already difficult to access healthcare and treatment. It's additionally difficult for folks who belong to other marginalized communities, especially families and children of color, as well as folks who are on various forms of state-funded insurance and may have difficulty selecting their providers to begin with."
Medical research has documented the impact of these care disruptions. A 2022 study from Seattle Children's Gender Clinic found that transgender and non-binary youth who received a year of gender-affirming care reported significant declines in self-harm, suicidal thoughts, and depression.
A legal challenge to Trump's executive order, filed by LGBTQ advocacy organizations, remains pending in court.
Author James Rodriguez: "The federal government is using legal muscle to chill a medical practice that major health organizations support, and hospitals are buckling under the pressure."
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