Supreme Court rejects Trump bid to enforce limits on transgender inmate care
In short
The Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected an emergency application from the Trump administration to enforce a Bureau of Prisons policy restricting medical treatment for transgender inmates. The brief order left a lower-court block in place; Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito said they would have granted the application.
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The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to allow the Trump administration to enforce a new Bureau of Prisons policy that restricts medical treatment for transgender inmates. The justices rejected an emergency application that sought to block a lower court injunction, and the decision leaves the lower-court block in place. CBS News described the order as unsigned and one line long, and the court did not explain its reasoning. Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito said they would have granted the application. [ 1 , 4 , 5 , 8 , 13 ]
According to the Associated Press, the new policy would halt surgeries, taper off hormones and end social accommodations such as makeup and wigs, while prisons would continue to offer mental health services. It followed an executive order from President Donald Trump. CNN reported he signed the order on his first day back in the White House, barring any medical procedure, treatment or drug for the purpose of conforming an inmate's appearance to that of the opposite sex. NBC News dated the executive order to January 2025. [ 1 , 4 , 8 , 13 ]
Three inmates challenged the policy in court. U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth ordered treatments to continue, and the Los Angeles Times reported he ruled in June that the administration did not have evidence or good reasons for changing the long-standing policy. The administration appealed, arguing the treatments raised security concerns. A divided appeals court panel left the order in place, and the Los Angeles Times reported the D.C. Circuit upheld the decision on a 2-1 vote last month, prompting the administration's appeal to the Supreme Court. [ 5 , 8 , 10 , 13 ]
Lawyers for the inmates said the Bureau of Prisons has provided hormone treatment to people with gender dysphoria since 1992, and CBS News reported they said the new policy required ending treatment for nearly 1,000 inmates. NBC News said about 1,000 transgender inmates are in federal custody, while AP reported that the agency said in court records that about 600 inmates were receiving hormone therapy in 2025. [ 1 , 5 , 8 , 10 , 13 ]
Li Nowlin-Sohl, an American Civil Liberties Union lawyer representing the plaintiffs, called it a critical ruling for the clients and all transgender people in Bureau of Prisons custody. She said denying medically necessary health care to people in prison violates their fundamental constitutional rights. White House spokeswoman Allison Schuster called the order a loss for common sense and said the administration would continue its efforts, as quoted by NBC News. NBC News reported the policy will continue to be litigated in lower courts. [ 1 , 4 , 5 ]
CNN, AP and the Los Angeles Times noted the Supreme Court has previously allowed the administration's policies on military service and passport sex markers to proceed. CNN and the Los Angeles Times described the latest decision as a rare win for transgender rights at the court. [ 4 , 8 , 10 , 13 ]
Why it matters
The ruling means the lower-court block on the policy stays in place while the case continues in lower courts. CNN, the Los Angeles Times and The Guardian described the outcome as a rare or unusual win for transgender rights at the court.
Key facts
- The Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected the Trump administration's emergency application to enforce a new Bureau of Prisons policy restricting treatment for transgender inmates. [ 1 , 4 , 5 , 8 , 13 ]
- The order was brief and gave no explanation; Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito said they would have granted the application. [ 1 , 4 , 5 , 13 ]
- The policy would halt surgeries, taper off hormones and end social accommodations such as makeup and wigs, while prisons would continue to offer mental health services. [ 8 , 13 ]
- U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth ordered treatments to continue, and a divided appeals court panel left his order in place. [ 8 , 13 ]
- The policy will continue to be litigated in lower courts. [ 1 ]
- The American Civil Liberties Union, representing the inmates, called the ruling critical; the White House called it a loss for common sense. [ 1 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to let the Trump administration enforce the new Bureau of Prisons policy on transgender inmates, leaving a lower-court block in place. [ 1 , 5 , 8 , 13 ]
- Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito would have allowed the policy to be enforced. [ 1 , 5 , 8 , 10 , 13 ]
- The order was brief and did not explain the court's reasoning. [ 1 , 4 , 5 , 13 ]
- The policy would end surgeries, hormone treatment and social accommodations for transgender inmates, while mental health or psychiatric services would continue. [ 4 , 5 , 8 , 13 ]
- Lawyers for the inmates said the Bureau of Prisons has provided hormone treatment to people with gender dysphoria since 1992. [ 5 , 10 ]
- The Supreme Court has previously allowed the administration's policies on military service and passport sex markers to move ahead. [ 4 , 8 , 13 ]
Still unclear
- How many inmates would be affected by the policy. NBC News cited about 1,000 transgender inmates in federal custody, and the inmates' lawyers said nearly 1,000 people had treatment ended, while AP reported the agency said in court records that about 600 inmates were receiving hormone therapy in 2025.
- Whether hormone therapy has caused security problems in prisons. The administration argued the treatments raised security concerns, while AP reported the government has not detailed evidence of security problems linked to hormone therapy for transgender inmates.
- Why the court rejected the application. The order gave no explanation.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- NBC News published its report on the Supreme Court order rejecting the administration's emergency application. [ 1 ]
- CNN reported the court blocked Trump from suspending hormone therapy and other treatments for transgender people in federal prisons. [ 4 ]
- CBS News reported the court left intact the lower court decision blocking the policy. [ 5 ]
- PBS NewsHour carried the AP report that the court refused to let the administration immediately enforce the restrictions. [ 13 ]