The US Department of Justice said on Wednesday it had sent more than 20 subpoenas to clinics and doctors who offer gender-affirming care to minors.

It was not immediately clear to whom the requests were sent and the kind of information that was requested.

The US attorney general, Pam Bondi, issued a memo on 22 April saying the justice department would investigate and prosecute those who were providing transgender care to children. The memo instructed federal prosecutors “to investigate all suspected cases of [female genital mutilation] – under the banner of so-called ‘gender-affirming care’ or otherwise-and to prosecute all FGM offenses to the fullest extent possible”.