Great Lakes Wire

A federal judge has issued a preliminary injunction stopping the Trump Administration from cutting funding for teen reproductive and sexual health education programs. The decision comes after 17 attorneys general, including Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in September. The suit claims that the administration’s actions would deny young people important services for political reasons without legal justification.

“This unlawful action by the Trump Administration would have put the health and safety of our kids at risk,” said Nessel. “For trans youth, who already face higher rates of bullying, isolation, and health disparities, this attempt to erase their very existence from educational programs was not just cruel but dangerous. I will continue to fight against illegal measures that jeopardize the well-being of Michiganders.”

In August, HHS threatened to withdraw almost $3.4 million in Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP) funding from Michigan. PREP is designed to provide teenagers with medically accurate information to help reduce pregnancy rates and sexually transmitted infections. In Michigan, this program supports education efforts in 25 schools and eight community organizations, reaching thousands of youths statewide.

The coalition of attorneys general argued that HHS’s move violated both the Administrative Procedure Act and the U.S. Constitution. They stated that Congress established PREP with specific requirements that conflict with the administration’s stance on gender identity. The group also contended that requiring states to present incomplete or medically unsupported content goes against congressional law and undermines Congress’ authority over federal spending.

Attorneys general from Colorado, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Delaware, Hawai‘i, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, and Wisconsin joined Nessel in obtaining this court order.