US Supreme Court greenlights temporary enforcement of Trump’s military transgender ban

The United States Supreme Court has allowed former President Donald Trump to temporarily enforce his ban on transgender individuals serving in the military while ongoing lawsuits challenging the policy proceed in lower courts.

Shortly after beginning his term, Trump issued executive orders empowering the Pentagon to implement the ban. However, a federal court blocked the measure in March, citing a lack of evidence that transgender service members negatively impact military readiness or cohesion.

In response, the Trump administration filed an emergency appeal to the Supreme Court, urging deference to the military’s discretion in matters concerning national security. The high court granted the request in an unsigned order issued on Tuesday, despite objections from its three liberal justices.

Trump's order claimed that identifying as transgender is incompatible with the expectations of military life and discipline, asserting that it could hinder overall preparedness. Following the policy’s announcement, the Department of Defense stated in February that it would begin removing transgender personnel from active service.

Legal challenges swiftly followed. Seven transgender individuals, including Navy fighter pilot Commander Emily Schilling, joined a lawsuit alongside a potential recruit who had hoped to enlist. Their legal teams, including Lambda Legal and the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, criticized the ruling as a setback for equality and constitutional rights.

“This decision temporarily permits a discriminatory policy that harms our national defense and violates basic constitutional protections,” the groups said in a joint statement.

Previously, a federal judge in Washington State halted the policy nationwide, arguing that the administration had not justified its claims about military efficiency. Although the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld that injunction, the Supreme Court’s ruling now lifts it, allowing enforcement of the ban while the legal case unfolds.

White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt praised the development as "another major Supreme Court victory."

During his second term, Trump took several measures affecting transgender Americans, including an executive order recognizing only male and female as official genders. The move has influenced federal policy, such as the State Department's elimination of the "X" gender marker on passports, a change that is currently under legal scrutiny. A federal judge has issued an injunction against that policy as well.

Additionally, the administration has advanced efforts to limit gender-affirming healthcare for transgender minors and block transgender women from competing in women’s sports—further igniting legal and civil rights debates nationwide.