The FBI has opened criminal investigations into three prominent children’s hospitals as part of the Trump administration’s broader crackdown on what it terms “irreversible medical interventions” on minors. The move follows Attorney General Pam Bondi’s directive to enforce federal statutes outlawing female genital mutilation (FGM) — a push that now includes investigating gender-transition procedures performed on children.
The targets of the investigations are providers at Boston Children’s Hospital, Children’s Hospital Colorado, and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, according to a source familiar with the case who spoke to Fox News Digital on condition of anonymity. These institutions have been at the forefront of pediatric gender-transition care in recent years.
Just days after returning to office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing federal agencies to curtail access to “irreversible” gender treatments for minors.
Shortly after, Attorney General Bondi issued a formal memorandum to the Department of Justice, instructing federal prosecutors to aggressively enforce 18 U.S.C. § 116 — a statute banning female genital mutilation on minors — and to apply it broadly in cases involving so-called “gender-affirming care.”
“I am putting medical practitioners, hospitals, and clinics on notice: In the United States, it is a felony to perform, attempt to perform, or conspire to perform female genital mutilation (FGM) on anyone under 18,” Bondi stated in her April memorandum. “Each count of this crime carries up to 10 years in prison. I am directing all U.S. Attorneys to pursue prosecution to the fullest extent of the law.”
Bondi also announced the formation of a new Coalition Against Child Mutilation, which will collaborate with state attorneys general to pursue legal action against healthcare providers accused of violating state or federal laws prohibiting medically unnecessary procedures on minors.
The memo further revealed that the DOJ’s Office of Legislative Affairs is preparing new legislation to establish a private right of action — allowing children and their families to sue medical providers retroactively for damages stemming from “chemical and surgical mutilation.”
The Trump administration’s renewed focus on transgender medical care for minors has already prompted policy changes at several hospitals. Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, for example, announced it will permanently close its Center for Transyouth Health and Development on July 22, 2025. In a statement to CBS News, the hospital cited “significant operational, legal, and financial risks” in the evolving federal and state policy landscape.
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