A federal judge has ordered several U.S. government agencies to restore health-related webpages and datasets that were removed in compliance with President Donald Trump’s recent executive order.
U.S. District Judge John Bates issued a temporary restraining order on Tuesday, February 11, 2025, in response to a lawsuit filed by the advocacy group Doctors for America.
The order affects the Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Food and Drug Administration. These agencies are required to restore access to webpages and data that were taken down following Trump’s January 20th executive order, which mandated the use of “sex” instead of “gender” in federal policies and documents.
The removed content included information on:
- HIV testing and prevention medication
- Contraceptive guidance
- Adolescent and youth mental health data
- Strategies to enhance participation of underrepresented groups in clinical trials
Judge Bates emphasized the potential harm to public health, stating, “It bears emphasizing who ultimately bears the harm of defendants’ actions: everyday Americans, and most acutely, underprivileged Americans, seeking healthcare”1. He noted that the removal of these resources could lead to individuals not receiving treatment for severe, life-threatening conditions.
The judge has set a deadline of 11:59 p.m. Tuesday for the agencies to restore the specific webpages mentioned in the lawsuit. Furthermore, the order mandates the agencies to consult with DFA to identify any other resources that DFA members rely on and that were similarly removed or modified. These additional resources must be restored to their January 30, 2025, versions by February 14, 2025.
