The City and County of Denver has joined dozens of other cities, counties and local governments in filing an amicus brief in support of Planned Parenthood’s lawsuit challenging funding cuts in President Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill, according to a statement from Mayor Mike Johnston’s office on Wednesday. 

An amicus brief is a document filed by a “friend of the court” that permits a party to provide an outside perspective on an issue under litigation. 

“Amici are 42 cities, counties, and local government leaders from across the country,” the brief states. “Amici write in strong support of affirmance of the district court’s grant of a preliminary injunction to ensure that Medicaid funding continues to be disbursed to all qualified healthcare providers in amici’s communities. Local governments have an obligation and a right — long recognized by the U.S. Supreme Court — to safeguard the public health of their communities.” 

In August, the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts issued a preliminary injunction that temporarily prevented the federal government from cutting funding to Planned Parenthood. 

On Sept. 11, an appeals court granted a stay of the injunction, allowing the federal government to enforce the funding cutoff while the case makes its way through the legal system. 

The “Defund Provision” in the federal law blocks patients from using health care plans funded by Medicaid at reproductive health centers such as Planned Parenthood.

“In Denver, we will always fight for the rights of women to access contraception and reproductive care,” Johnston said. “We are proud to join this amicus brief to push back on President Trump and the Big Beautiful Bill’s unconstitutional targeting of Planned Parenthood and to ensure women receive quality, life-saving care regardless of their ability to pay.” 

Gov. Jared Polis recently signed a bill into law that permits the use of state funds to cover Medicaid reimbursements for reproductive healthcare providers facing cuts in federal funding.

Denver has already filed four lawsuits against the Trump Administration to protect federal funding, along with recently filing two amicus briefs pushing back against the president’s use of National Guard troops to enforce federal immigration policy in U.S. cities.