Congresswoman Simon Condemns Trump Administration’s Continued Attack on the Civil Rights of Disability Community
Proposed DOJ and HHS Court Resolution Attempts to Dispute Integration Mandate that Requires the Government to Provide Services to People with Disabilities
WASHINGTON, D.C. — On June 18, 2026, the Trump Administration’s Department of Justice (DOJ) issued an opinion memo undermining key protections established by the landmark Supreme Court ruling in Olmstead v. L.C. which prohibits the unnecessary institutionalization of people with disabilities and ensures Americans with disabilities can live full, independent lives. In response, Congresswoman Lateefah Simon (D-CA-12) and disability leaders in Congress led 100 of their colleagues to call on the Department of Justice to rescind the opinion memo.
This week, on August 31, 2026, the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), in coordination with Texas, Florida, and Alaska, filed a proposed resolution in Texas v. Kennedy, a lawsuit challenging the legality and constitutionality of a Section 504 rule published by HHS in 2024 that expanded the integration mandate. The proposed resolution formally asks the court to enter an order vacating references to community integration throughout the 2024 HHS Section 504 rule, including the entirety of the integration provision.
The proposed resolution is alarming because it doubles down on the June 2026 DOJ opinion memo to undermine longstanding legal precedent and interpretation of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), ultimately paving a path to allow Americans with disabilities to be forced into institutions against their will.
In response, Congresswoman Simon, who serves as the first congenitally blind Member of Congress, released the following statement:
“I am horrified and furious at this Administration's continued attempts to roll back the rights of the disability community and abandon its duty to protect and enforce basic civil rights. From devastating cuts to Medicaid that severely impacted home and community-based services, to the DOJ opinion memo undermining Olmstead, to now challenging protections against discrimination on the basis of disability – the Trump Administration is hell-bent on sending the disability community back in time.
“Community-based services and supports work. They are more cost-effective, produce better health and quality-of-life outcomes, and honor people with disabilities’ autonomy and self-determination. The consequences of weakening the integration mandate would be profound and impact millions of Americans’ ability to access home and community-based services that allow them to remain among their families, maintain employment, pursue education, and participate in civic life. As states adjust their budgets to account for Medicaid cuts, the Administration is paving the way for reductions in these support programs and increased reliance on institutional care.
“I want to be clear: Neither the DOJ opinion memo nor the proposed resolution can or does change the interpretation of the requirements under Section 504 of the ADA. Only Congress can change the law, and I will fight with every ounce of my being against any attempts to diminish the civil rights of the disability community.”
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