New York Attorney General Letitia James warned hospitals Monday that denying care to transgender minors following President Donald Trump's recent executive order would violate state law.

New York’s Democratic Attorney General Letitia James warned hospitals Monday that prematurely pausing gender-affirming care for transgender minors in compliance with a recent executive order from President Trump could violate state law.

New York Attorney General Letitia James is telling hospitals that they would be violating state law if they stop offering gender-affirming care for people under age 19 in response to an executive order from President Donald Trump aimed at curtailing federal funding for such treatments.

In an order last week, President Trump threatened to freeze federal funding to hospitals across the country if they provided gender-affirming care to anyone under age 19.

State Attorney General Letitia James helped win a temporary restraining order preventing the Trump administration from denying federal funds to hospitals – at least for now.

The threat of losing federal funding is no legal justification for refusing to provide such services, the letter stated. Gender identity and expression are among the protected characteristics under New York’s Human Rights Law.