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WASHINGTON, D.C. – America First Legal (AFL) has uncovered that multiple states suing the Trump Administration over President Trump’s Executive Order 14187, “Protecting Children From Chemical and Surgical Mutilation,” lack evidence to support their claims of harm. Executive Order 14187 bans taxpayer dollars from being used to “fund, sponsor, promote, assist, or support the so-called ‘transition’ of a child from one sex to another.”
On August 1, 2025, fifteen states, the District of Columbia, and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro filed a lawsuit against President Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi, alleging — without evidence — that Executive Order 14187 would result in criminal and financial penalties against state employees and providers of so-called “gender affirming care.” The lawsuit also claims that Executive Order 14187 would increase depression, anxiety, and physical and mental health issues for “transgender adolescents,” reduce access to “gender affirming services,” and prevent states from satisfying their legal obligations to provide minors in their custody with “medical care.”
The plaintiff states in the lawsuit include Massachusetts, California, New York, Connecticut, Illinois, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin. To determine whether their claims of injury were true and accurate, AFL filed multiple records requests with the plaintiffs, requesting:
All records and communications documenting criminal prosecutions and financial penalties on state employees for providing “gender-affirming” care to adolescents from January 28, 2025, to the date this request is processed. All records documenting increases in depression and anxiety among transgender adolescents from January 28, 2025, to the date this request is processed. All records documenting negative mental and physical health impacts on transgender adolescents from January 28, 2025, to the date this request is processed. All records documenting increases in physical and mental healthcare for transgender adolescents from January 28, 2025, to the date this request is processed. All records documenting increases in expenses for mental health counseling, crisis services, and hospital admissions for transgender adolescents from January 28, 2025, to the date this request is processed. All records documenting that the state failed to satisfy its legal obligations to provide minors in its custody with medical care from January 28, 2025, to the date this request is processed. All records documenting the reduction in services to transgender adolescent patients from January 28, 2025, to the date this request is processed. All records documenting closings of adolescent gender care clinics from January 28, 2025, to the date this request is processed. All records documenting the state exercising less regulatory control over the medical profession in the state from January 28, 2025, to the date this request is processed. All records and communications mentioning the terms “Executive Order 14187,” or “Protecting Children from Chemical and Surgical Mutilation," and “affect shape harm,” from January 28, 2025, to the date this request is processed.
So far, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, the Illinois Department of Public Health, and the Nevada Department of Human Services have responded. All claimed that they lack records responsive to AFL’s requests seeking to obtain evidence of actual harm. Specifically, the responses stated:
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health replied, “DPH does not have records responsive to your request in its possession, custody, or control.” The Illinois Department of Public Health responded, “The Department does not have records responsive to Parts 1 through 9 of this request.” The Nevada Department of Human Services answered, “The Nevada Department of Human Services has reviewed its files and has determined there are no responsive documents to your request.”
AFL has previously exposed other states’ lack of standing in their own respective cases against the Trump Administration. Specifically, AFL uncovered Colorado, Rhode Island, Hawaii, and Arizona’s lack of evidence supporting their claims of injury in an attempt to block the Trump Administration’s sharing of Medicaid beneficiary data with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
These states’ responses to AFL’s records requests repeatedly reveal a lack of standing. AFL will continue to expose baseless litigation efforts aimed at undermining the America First agenda.
“States suing the Trump Administration appear to lack evidence of actual harm supporting their allegations,” said Dan Epstein, Vice President of America First Legal. “The Trump Administration’s executive order sought to protect minors from permanent physical damage. Protecting children should not be subject to politics.”
Learn more about AFL’s Blue State investigations here.
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