Attorney General Ellison sues Trump administration for blocking Planned Parenthood from receiving Medicaid funding
Planned Parenthood health centers in Minnesota rely on more than $9 million in Medicaid reimbursements, covering over 30,000 patient visits each year
July 29, 2025 (SAINT PAUL) — Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison joined a coalition of 22 states and the District of Columbia in suing the Trump administration over the “Defund Provision” of their budget reconciliation bill, which targets Planned Parenthood and health care access for millions of low-income Americans.
The Defund Provision specifically blocks Medicaid reimbursements for essential health care services, such as cancer screenings, birth control, and STI testing at Planned Parenthood health centers. Attorney General Ellison and the coalition ask the court to stop the Trump administration from implementing this devastating and unlawful provision, which will lead to widespread disruptions in preventative care and increased health care costs if allowed to stand.
"Planned Parenthood is an essential healthcare provider that so many Minnesotans rely on for cancer screenings, family planning services, STI testing, abortion care, and more,” said Attorney General Ellison. “Make no mistake, the Trump administration’s attempts to defund Planned Parenthood will hurt the people of Minnesota, especially women, the LGBTQ+ community, and low-income folks. I’m taking the Trump administration to court to prevent these harmful cuts and defend the well-being of Minnesotans everywhere.”
Defunding Planned Parenthood threatens at least 200 health centers nationwide, affecting health care for more than 1.1 million people, many of whom are unlikely to be able to receive care elsewhere. Despite claims by lawmakers that other health centers can absorb these patients, recent findings from the Guttmacher Institute indicated that alternative locations do not have the capacity to serve the number of Americans who currently rely on Planned Parenthood for their health care.
States play a key role in the administration of federal funds through Medicaid and other programs, which is why the coalition filed suit to prevent the Trump Administration from forcing Minnesota and other states to comply with its unlawful Defund Provision. Medicaid provides health coverage for more than 1.2 million Minnesotans. In Minnesota alone, Planned Parenthood health centers rely on more than $9 million in annual Medicaid reimbursements to cover over 30,000 patient visits for lifesaving and life-changing health care, including cancer screenings, preventing the spread of sexually transmitted infections and providing much needed family planning and sexual reproductive healthcare.
Today’s lawsuit complements a lawsuit filed earlier this month by Planned Parenthood Federation of America and two of its local affiliates against the Trump administration challenging the prohibited Medicaid reimbursements. Yesterday, a federal court in Boston granted a preliminary injunction, concluding that the Defund Provision likely violates the U.S. Constitution by targeting Planned Parenthood’s health centers specifically for punishment, and likely violates the First Amendment and Equal Protection clause.
In today’s filing, Attorney General Ellison and the coalition argue that the Defund Provision is impermissibly ambiguous and violates Congress’ Spending Clause power. They highlight that the provision is likely to increase health risks, which will result not only in widespread and devastating effects on the health of our most vulnerable residents but also increased costs of $30 million over the next five years and $52 million over the next 10 years in Medicaid programs.
The coalition of attorneys general urges the court to enjoin the Trump administration from implementing the provision to prevent the tremendous harm this will have on public health and welfare of their states, as well as the increased costs to the states.
Attorney General Ellison is joined in filing this lawsuit by the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia, as well as Josh Shapiro, in his official capacity as governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
