A federal judge has blocked enforcement of a provision in President Donald Trump’s newly enacted tax and spending legislation, ruling that it likely violates the U.S. Constitution by specifically targeting Planned Parenthood.
U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani issued a preliminary injunction against the law’s Medicaid-related restrictions, arguing that the measure appeared to punish Planned Parenthood and its affiliates for providing abortion services. The provision was part of the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” recently passed by the Republican-led Congress, which aimed to bar certain tax-exempt organizations from receiving Medicaid funds if they continue to perform abortions.
According to the Department of Justice, the measure was intended to “stop federal subsidies for Big Abortion.” However, Judge Talwani — an appointee of former President Barack Obama — concluded that the legislation was overly tailored to penalize Planned Parenthood Federation of America and its affiliates, regardless of whether they were explicitly named in the text.
“Plaintiffs are likely to establish that Congress singled them out with punitive intent,” Talwani wrote in her ruling.
The judge determined that the law likely constituted an unconstitutional bill of attainder, a legislative action that imposes punishment without judicial trial. She also found that the law infringed upon the equal protection rights of Planned Parenthood under the Fifth Amendment and burdened the First Amendment rights of affiliates who do not perform abortions but are connected to the organization.
This decision follows a partial injunction issued earlier by the court, which covered only a subset of Planned Parenthood members. With the temporary restraining order expiring, many clinics had already begun to halt Medicaid billing in anticipation of financial fallout.
Planned Parenthood warned that the law could have “catastrophic” effects, potentially forcing the closure of nearly 200 clinics across 24 states and affecting access to essential services like birth control, STI testing, and cancer screenings.
“We will keep fighting this cruel law so that everyone can get birth control, STI testing and treatment, cancer screenings, and other critical health care, no matter their insurance,” said Alexis McGill Johnson, President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America.
The White House has not issued a statement in response to the ruling. The injunction remains in effect as the broader legal challenge to the law continues.
