What you need to know about the judge protecting Planned Parenthood’s funding
The Massachusetts federal judge who temporarily secured taxpayer dollars for Planned Parenthood after the “One Big, Beautiful Bill” defunding of the nation’s largest abortion provider has a career steeped in progressive politics and controversial rulings.
U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani of the District of Massachusetts imposed a temporary restraining order Monday directing the Department of Health and Human Services to ensure Medicaid funding continues to be disbursed to Planned Parenthood, which sued to restore its funding.
As a lawyer, Talwani represented organized labor unions, while as a judge she made left-leaning rulings on immigration policy, as well as a case involving transgender and free speech issues.
Planned Parenthood reportedly receives more than one-third of its overall funding from the U.S. government through grants, contracts, and Medicaid reimbursements.
While various lower court federal judges have blocked several of President Donald Trump’s executive actions, blocking a provision of the OBBB legislation by a federal judge stands out in blocking an act of Congress, with the president’s signature.
While courts have historically overturned laws deemed unconstitutional, matters of taxing and spending have traditionally been the purview of Congress.
Last month the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the case of Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic that states can block Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood.
Here’s six things to know about Talwani, a 2013 appointee of President Barack Obama who the Senate unanimously confirmed the following year.
1. ‘Only Two Genders’ Case
In June 2023, Talwani sided with a Massachusetts school district to prevent a 12-year-old student from wearing a T-shirt that said, “There are only two genders,” at school.
Liam Morrison was a 12-year-old sent home for wearing the shirt. School officials said the shirt made other students feel “unsafe.”
Talwani concluded in the case of L.M. v. Town of Middleborough that wearing the shirt would infringe upon other “students’ rights to be ‘secure and to be let alone’ during the school day.”
2. Blocked Trump Deportations
In April, Talwani blocked the Trump administration from revoking the work permits of 530,000 illegal immigrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela.
A Biden administration program allowed migrants from these countries to be flown directly into the interior of the United States and they were granted work authorization.
“If their parole status is allowed to lapse, Plaintiffs will be faced with two unfavorable options: continue following the law and leave the country on their own, or await removal proceedings,” Talwani wrote in her ruling. “If Plaintiffs leave the country on their own, they will face dangers in their native countries, as set forth in their affidavits.”
She continued: “For some Plaintiffs, leaving will also cause family separation. Leaving may also mean Plaintiffs will have forfeited any opportunity to obtain a remedy based on their [Administrative Procedure Act] claims, as leaving may moot those claims.”
3. Award From Chinese Progressives
In 2012, and again in 2013, the year before Obama nominated Talwani as a district court judge, she accepted the Workers Justice Award from the Chinese Progressive Association of Boston, according to Ballotpedia.
The organization is a left-of-center community organizing group, according to the Capital Research Center, which monitors nonprofits.
In 2019, the Chinese Progressive Association participated in a China flag-raising ceremony at Boston City Hall to mark the 70th anniversary of China. The ceremony prompted protest, WHDA Boston News 7 reported.
The organization was also involved in the “No Kings” protests last month.
The Boston-based organization has denied any communist ties.
Its website says it advocates for “justice, democracy and equality.”
4. Organized Labor Lawyer
From 1989 to 1999 Talwani was an attorney for the San Francisco-based firm Altshuler Berzon. From 1999-2014, when she was confirmed by the Senate, she was a lawyer for the Boston-based firm Segal Roitman, also focusing on labor cases.
During her legal career, she represented several major labor unions that typically align with the Democrat Party.
In the 2008 case of City of Boston/Boston Public Library v. Professional Staff Association, CWA Local?1333, AFL?CIO and AFSCME Council?93, Local?1526, she was one of the lawyers for the unions.
Talwani has also represented the Communication Workers of American, the Service Employees International Union, and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, according to Law 360.
5. Democrat Donor
Talwani donated moderate amounts of money to Democrat candidates before becoming a judge.
In June 2004, she contributed $1,000 to then-Democrat presidential candidate John Kerry, who was a Massachusetts senator at the time. This was according to Open Secrets, a website that tracks money in politics.
In September 2011, she donated $200 to the successful Senate campaign of Elizabeth Warren.
In October 2006, Talwani gave $100 to Democrat candidate for Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick who went on to win the election.
6. Felicity Huffman and College Admission Scandal
Though not a political case, Talwani ruled in one of the high-profile cases regarding attempted fraud in college admissions.
In 2019, Talwani sentenced celebrity Felicity Huffman to 14 days in prison, one year supervised release, and a fine of $30,000. Huffman is best known for her role in the show “Desperate Housewives.”
Federal prosecutors recommended a sentence of one month in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of $20,000. Huffman pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud.
According to the Justice Department, starting in 2017, Huffman entered a conspiracy to have the score for her daughter’s college entrance exam, the SAT, fraudulently inflated. Huffman was the first of many wealthy parents charged in the case.
[Editor’s note: This story originally was published by The Daily Signal.]