CHICAGO (WLS) — A federal judge blocked the Trump administration from cutting more than $600 million in health care grants for Illinois and three other states.
Lurie Children’s Hospital would be among those hurt by the cuts.
The cuts appear to target health programs that serve the needs of minority communities, such as grants to fight HIV/Aids and other STDs.
If the temporary restraining order expires and the Trump Administration gets its way, Lurie Children’s Hospital may soon be $5.2 million dollars poorer.
The White House confirmed they are cutting around $600 million in public health funds directed at four Democratic-led states including Illinois, saying only that, “These grants are being terminated because they do not reflect agency priorities.”
This would impact a hospital run program here at Lurie – aimed at preventing HIV/AIDS among black women.
“Today, there is about 800 people a year newly diagnosed with HIV in the city of Chicago. And those numbers are going in the wrong direction. It makes tremendous sense to be investing in HIV prevention programs if the concern is about saving money,” John Peller, president and CEO of AIDS Foundation Chicago, said. “Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul said in a statement, “This unprecedented action is callous, arbitrary and politically based. Targeting four Democrat-run states that are standing up to his completely unrelated immigration policies is a transparent attempt to bully us into compliance.”
The temporary restraining order means Illinois will continue to receive CDC grant funding during this two-week time period.
Meanwhile, Lurie Children’s Hospital says it’s evaluating what these cuts could mean.
Copyright © 2026 WLS-TV. All Rights Reserved.