Chicago Mayor Vows Fight Over HIV-Prevention Grant Cuts

Johnson calls Trump administration's move to rescind federal funding "heartless and inhumane"

Published on Feb. 12, 2026

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Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is vowing to fight the Trump administration's decision to cancel federal grants that provide roughly $600 million in CDC-backed public-health awards for HIV-prevention work across the city. Johnson blasted the cuts as "heartless and inhumane" and promised the city "will not back down" from its commitment to the LGBTQ+ community. Several Chicago-specific grants are slated for termination, including funding for the city's Department of Public Health and local community organizations that provide HIV testing, outreach, and surveillance.

Why it matters

The threatened federal funds are a central part of Chicago's HIV-prevention strategy, and local providers warn that losing this funding could force clinics to cut services or scale back outreach to vulnerable residents. The timing is particularly concerning as the Chicago area has recently seen an uptick in new HIV diagnoses, and prevention and surveillance projects are crucial to reversing that trend.

The details

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. Several Chicago-specific grants are on the chopping block, including about $600,000 for the Chicago Department of Public Health and roughly $360,000 for the city's STI surveillance network. Community organizations like the South Side Help Center and the Puerto Rican Cultural Center also stand to lose six-figure awards that fund testing, PrEP outreach, and other prevention efforts.

  • The Trump administration recently moved to cancel the federal grants.
  • Chicago has seen an uptick in new HIV diagnoses in the recent past.

The players

Brandon Johnson

The mayor of Chicago who is vowing to fight the Trump administration's decision to cut federal HIV-prevention grants.

Antonio King

The Director of LGBTQ+ Affairs for the City of Chicago, who is quoted in Mayor Johnson's statement promising the city "will not back down" from its commitment to the LGBTQ+ community.

Travis Gayles

The CEO of Howard Brown Health, a local provider that says prevention and surveillance projects funded by the threatened grants are central to reducing HIV transmission in Chicago.

Raja Krishnamoorthi

A U.S. Representative who labeled the decision to cut the HIV-prevention grants as "politically motivated cruelty" and pledged to work to reverse the cuts.

J.B. Pritzker

The Governor of Illinois, whose team condemned the Trump administration's action to rescind the federal funding.

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What they’re saying

“We must not let individuals continue to damage private property in San Francisco.”

— Robert Jenkins, San Francisco resident (San Francisco Chronicle)

“Fifty years is such an accomplishment in San Francisco, especially with the way the city has changed over the years.”

— Gordon Edgar, grocery employee (Instagram)

What’s next

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. Chicago and Illinois leaders say they are gearing up for legal and political pushback to try to reverse the cuts.

The takeaway

This case highlights the critical role that federal HIV-prevention funding plays in supporting vulnerable communities in Chicago, and the potential devastating impact that losing this funding could have on efforts to combat the spread of HIV. It underscores the importance of political advocacy and legal action to protect public health resources, especially for marginalized populations.