Trump admin withholds millions from Planned Parenthood over DEI, immigration policy violations

The Trump administration is making good on another promise by issuing a temporary block on funding to Planned Parenthood and other Title X providers over possible civil rights and DEI violations.

The block, first reported Monday night by Politico, was made by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). It includes “tens of millions of dollars” destined for birth control, sexually transmitted disease testing and other non-abortion services for low-income Americans, Politico reported.

Planned Parenthood affiliates in nine states received notices Monday of possible civil rights violations for things such as targeting black communities and using taxpayer dollars to serve undocumented immigrants, the article said. The organization even “overtly encourages illegal aliens to receive care,” and thus supports open borders, the letter from HHS says. 

Abortion, Every Day, a pro-abortion website, put the amount at close to $35 million and listed 20 states that will lose all or partial funding under the block, which took effect Tuesday. 

Many of the affiliates are in Republican-controlled states, although some are in liberal places such as California and Maine. 

Each organization has 10 days to provide evidence of compliance with Trump’s executive orders against discriminatory diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies and efforts to seal the border and remove criminal illegal immigrants from the country. 

Title X is a family planning program approved in 1970, including funding for contraception and health screenings related to reproduction. 

The Trump administration cut allotments this year by half or more for some providers, Politico reported, and withheld grants from 16 total agencies, including the nine Planned Parenthood affiliates. Although the organization is not exclusively targeted, it could be a first step toward defunding the abortion giant, something conservatives have long desired. 

Specifically, a total of $27.5 million of HHS’ $200 million Title X budget is being withheld pending review, a department spokesman told Politico. The money was granted under the Biden administration, which prioritized diversity and services to illegal immigrants. 

During Trump’s first term, he banned Title X recipients from discussing or referring patients for abortions, even mandating abortions be handled in separate facilities from Title X services. He also opened the funding to faith-based pregnancy centers, which are pro-life. 

That prompted more than 900 clinics to quit in protest, but many returned during the Biden era. Still, the program served about 2.8 million people in 2023, down significantly from the 4 million it served in 2017 when Trump took office.