ATTORNEY GENERAL RAOUL SEEKS PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION TO BLOCK TRUMP ADMINISTRATION FROM DEFUNDING PLANNED PARENTHOOD & OTHER HEALTH CENTERS

ATTORNEY GENERAL RAOUL SEEKS PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION TO BLOCK TRUMP ADMINISTRATION FROM DEFUNDING PLANNED PARENTHOOD & OTHER HEALTH CENTERS

September 24, 2025

Chicago - Attorney General Kwame Raoul, as part of a coalition of 22 attorneys general and the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, today filed a motion for a preliminary injunction to block the Trump administration from enforcing the "Defund Provision" in the recently enacted federal budget reconciliation law. The Defund Provision was designed to exclude Planned Parenthood facilities and other health centers that provide abortions from receiving federal Medicaid reimbursements, even though federal dollars do not pay for abortions. The excluded centers also provide essential health care services to low-income patients who receive Medicaid, including cancer screenings, testing for and treatment of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), birth control, and other critical medical services.

Raoul and the coalition filed the motion asking the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts to grant a preliminary injunction in a lawsuit the coalition filed July 29 over the Defund Provision. In their lawsuit, Raoul and the coalition argue that the Defund Provision violates the Constitution's spending clause and is impermissibly vague because Congress failed to adequately define which providers are impacted, and the timing of the prohibition on federal reimbursements is unclear. Over the course of Medicaid's 60-year history, states - not the federal government - have determined which providers qualify for the program.

"Without access to the medical care they receive at Planned Parenthood health centers, thousands of Americans will simply opt to defer or even forgo critical preventative care like screenings for cancer," Raoul said. "We are urging the court to halt enforcement of the Defund Provision, which is clearly intended to shutter Planned Parenthood. Planned Parenthood facilities play a key role in our nation's health and wellness by providing preventative care to more than 1 million Americans. The Defund Provision will cause the most harm to those who need Planned Parenthood the most: women, low-income residents, LGBTQ+ individuals and communities of color - all of whom deserve access to the screenings, wellness exams and other care Planned Parenthood provides."

Today's motion is the latest action Attorney General Raoul has taken to protect access to reproductive care. In Illinois, he has initiated or supported legislative proposals to preserve Illinois as a reproductive health care oasis, issued guidance to inform Illinois residents of their rights, and provided law enforcement with clarification that abortion is not criminalized in the state. More broadly, Raoul often joins other state attorneys general to oppose draconian abortion regulations federally and in other states. For instance, Attorney General Raoul has urged the American Medical Association to protect health care providers from risky in-person medical board certification requirements. Recently, Raoul called on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to remove burdensome restrictions on mifepristone, one of two drugs used in medication abortions, which followed a 2023 lawsuit Raoul filed to preserve access to mifepristone for patients in Illinois. In 2024, Raoul, as part of a coalition of 24 attorneys general, filed a brief in the U.S. Supreme Court to protect access to medication abortion nationwide. The court's ruling ultimately preserved access to medication abortion.

Raoul's office has also encouraged individuals to protect their privacy when seeking reproductive care. In 2022, Raoul's office issued guidance to help individuals seeking care protect their privacy while using apps and online platforms. Additionally, Raoul advocated for stronger federal protections for patients' reproductive health information and called on Apple to take practical steps to protect consumers' private reproductive health information.

Throughout his time in office, he has also defended Title X, the only federal grant program that funds family planning and counseling programs to help patients access contraception, as well as breast and cervical cancer screenings, screenings and treatments for sexually transmitted infections, and other related health services.

Joining Attorney General Raoul in filing the motion are the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin, as well as the commonwealth of Pennsylvania.