Federal Judges Block Trump’s Transgender Military Ban as Legal Battle Escalates

Court injunctions prevent the policy's implementation, citing constitutional violations, while the Trump administration appeals the rulings.

Two federal judges, Ana Reyes in Washington, D.C., and Benjamin Settle in Washington state, have issued injunctions blocking the Trump administration's transgender military ban.
Judge Reyes ruled that the policy likely violates the Fifth Amendment's equal protection clause and criticized the administration's justification as discriminatory and lacking evidence.
The Department of Justice has appealed the rulings to the D.C. Circuit Court, seeking to enforce the ban during the appeals process.
The policy, which targets individuals with gender dysphoria, has been criticized for its potential harm to thousands of transgender service members and its invasive reporting requirements.
For now, the injunctions protect transgender troops from discharge or exclusion, delaying the policy's implementation pending further legal review.