Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is digging in for a fight after the Trump administration moved to cancel federal grants that bankroll key HIV-prevention work across the city, vowing his administration "will not back down" as local health providers brace for a major cash crunch.
The Office of Management and Budget has ordered federal agencies to claw back grants that include roughly $600 million in CDC-backed public-health awards for four Democratic-led states, including Illinois, according to the Associated Press. The move is part of a broader effort that also targets transportation funds, with federal officials arguing the awards no longer line up with agency priorities.
On X, Johnson blasted the cuts as "heartless and inhumane" and, quoting his Director of LGBTQ+ Affairs Antonio King, promised the city "will not back down" from its commitment to Chicago's queer community. Mayor Brandon Johnson's post on X said his administration will "use every tool at its disposal" to fight for the HIV-prevention dollars and get them restored to Chicagoans.
Which Chicago Programs Are On The Chopping Block?
A list obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times shows several Chicago-specific grants flagged for termination. That includes about $600,000 for the Chicago Department of Public Health to scale up HIV-prevention services in sexual-health clinics and roughly $360,000 for the city's STI surveillance network.
The same list names multiple community organizations with six-figure awards on the line, including the South Side Help Center and the Puerto Rican Cultural Center. City officials and nonprofit leaders say those grants underwrite testing, outreach for PrEP and surveillance work that have become foundational pieces of Chicago's HIV-prevention strategy.
Health Leaders Warn Pullback Could Fuel New Infections
Local providers say the timing could hardly be worse. Howard Brown Health and other organizations told the Chicago Sun-Times that the Chicago area has recently seen an uptick in new HIV diagnoses, and they argue prevention and surveillance projects are central to turning that trend around.
"Surveillance and prevention have been central to reducing transmission," Howard Brown CEO Travis Gayles told the Chicago Sun-Times. Without the threatened federal funds, clinics warn they could be forced to cut services or scale back outreach aimed at some of the city's most vulnerable residents.
City, State Officials Talk Lawsuits And Political Heat
Chicago and Illinois leaders say they are gearing up for legal and political pushback. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi labeled the decision "politically motivated cruelty" and pledged to work to reverse the cuts, according to a press release from his office. Gov. J.B. Pritzker's team told the Associated Press it had not yet received formal notice but condemned the action.
Courts have, at times, temporarily blocked similar attempts to rescind federal funding, giving states at least a potential legal avenue to challenge this latest move.
For now, Chicago officials say they are pressing federal agencies for answers, coordinating closely with local providers and examining legal options, even as community groups brace for the looming shortfall. Advocacy organizations and clinics told reporters they are waiting on formal notifications and plan to update patients and funders once they know exactly how deep the cuts will go.
