Trump Administration Faces Lawsuits Over Transgender Prison Policies

Transgender inmates challenge executive order restricting gender-affirming care and housing protections in federal prisons.

Three transgender inmates filed a class-action lawsuit against the Trump administration and the Bureau of Prisons, citing the denial of gender-affirming care and housing protections as unconstitutional.
Trump's executive order, signed on his first day back in office, restricts federal funding for gender-affirming treatments and mandates the transfer of transgender women to men's facilities.
The lawsuit alleges that the policies violate the Eighth Amendment's prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment and contradict established legal precedents requiring medical care for incarcerated individuals.
Despite multiple federal court rulings blocking parts of the executive order, reports indicate that some transgender women have been transferred to men's prisons, raising concerns about safety and compliance with the Prison Rape Elimination Act.
Advocates and civil rights groups argue that the policies exacerbate discrimination, mental health struggles, and risks of violence for transgender inmates, with ongoing litigation seeking to halt these measures.