The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is targeting three children's hospitals over reports of the alleged mutilation of the genitals of minors.
The agency has recently opened criminal investigations into the medical establishments after commitments from Attorney General Pam Bondi that the government is enforcing federal statutes that ban female genital mutilation. This was allegedly done as part of efforts to protect children from often irreversible sex-change surgeries.
FBI Targets Children's Hospitals
The operations will target providers who are believed to be working at Boston Children's Hospital, Children's Hospital Colorado, and Children's Hospital Los Angeles. These medical institutions are some of the leading providers of sex change procedures for youths across the United States.
A few days after United States President Donald Trump took office, he issued an executive order that mandated all federal agencies to terminate the option of children under the age of 18 getting "irreversible medical interventions" as a form of treatment for gender dysphoria, according to Fox News.
These efforts include Bondi issuing a memorandum a few weeks ago that directed the Department of Justice's (DOJ) personnel to enforce 18 US.C. § 116. This is a federal statute that bars the mutilation of female genitalia, making it a criminal act.
The attorney general's memo noted that he was putting medical practitioners, hospitals, and clinics on notice. He argued that in the United States, it is illegal to perform or attempt to perform female genital mutilation (FGM).
Outlawing Gender-Affirming Care
The development comes as the FBI had previously urged the public to report healthcare providers that they believe are assisting transgender minors in getting gender-affirming care. The agency's official account on X said they are working to protect children and hold those who mutilate them accountable for their actions, The Hill reported.
It was later found that youth gender-affirming care has already been outlawed in 27 different states, the first one being Arkansas in 2021. There are also 17 other states that are facing legal challenges over such restrictions.
However, many experts argue that the FBI's new initiative does not have the support of federal law, adding that it was only designed to intimidate medical practitioners from offering gender-affirming care and related services.
A senior attorney with the ACLU's LGBTQ & HIV Projects, Josh Block, said that the only goal of the social media post was to create "fear and confusion for transgender youth." He added that the statement or memo did not hold any legal basis, as per CNN.
