Federal Court Blocks DOJ Subpoena

In a significant ruling protecting the privacy rights of patients & families U.S. District Judge Julie R. Rubin granted a motion to quash a Department of Justice subpoena demanding the medical records of families whose children received trans health care at Children's National Hospital. In her opinion Judge Rubin found that the DOJ subpoena "lacks a proper investigative purpose" & "appears to have no purpose other than to intimidate & harass" the hospital & families seeking established essential medical care for their children. The court determined the subpoena was "a pretext to fulfill the Executive's well-publicized policy objective to terminate & block” trans health care. The subpoena issued in June 2025 demanded highly sensitive information including patient names, dates of birth, social security numbers, diagnoses, clinical assessments & parental authorization forms. The court found this sweeping demand bore "no credible connection to an investigation of any statutory violation" & was "utterly unclear" in its purported purpose. Judge Rubin stated, "The Government has made improper use of a §3486 administrative subpoena to out [families] for receiving & their Hospital for providing, healthcare." The ruling emphasizes that patients have a constitutionally protected right to privacy in their sensitive medical records, particularly when the government cannot demonstrate a legitimate investigative basis for demanding them. Jennifer Levi, Senior Director at GLAD Law concluded, “When families fear their private health information could be exposed or used against them, they may delay or avoid seeking necessary medical care – putting children's health & wellbeing at risk. The court's decision protects not only the families who brought the case, but reinforces fundamental principles of medical privacy & limitations on government power that benefit all Americans.”

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