DOJ backs nuns caring for dying cancer patients in fight against New York trans ideology mandate

The Justice Department is backing a group of Catholic nuns who say New York's transgender policies could force them to choose between their religious beliefs and continuing to care for indigent cancer patients in their final days.

"For more than a century, the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne have provided free palliative care to indigent cancer patients in their last days," Dhillon added. "New York's law would force these religious women to choose between their faith and their license if they wish to continue serving the dying."

The Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne, who operate a home for dying cancer patients in Westchester County, argue New York's law could subject them to fines, loss of their operating license and other penalties if they refuse to comply with requirements related to gender identity, pronouns, room assignments and access to sex-specific facilities.

In their lawsuit, filed on April 6, the sisters highlighted that during the four-year reporting period from Feb. 1, 2022, through Jan. 31, 2026, the New York State Department of Health had received "zero complaints" from their residents, compared with "more than 55,000 complaints against other nursing homes," and an average of 23 citations per facility during the same period.

Martin Nussbaum, general counsel for Catholic Benefits Association, who is representing the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne, told Fox News Digital that the sisters' risk of lost licensing applies both to the entity, Rosary Hill Home, and to its staff members who are professionally licensed.

"Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche's formal certification of Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne v. Hochul as a case of 'general public importance' sends a welcome signal that a state's policy preference for gender ideology does not trump the protection for religious freedom embedded in our country's DNA," Nussbaum said.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, a spokesperson for New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said "This is just another sad attempt by the Trump administration to weaponize the justice system to attack political opponents in an election year. New York's decision to move to a single fiscal intermediary has already saved taxpayers more than a billion dollars while deterring fraud, waste and abuse. As many courts have already held, the transition to a single fiscal intermediary was lawful and appropriate. We are confident the facts are on our side."