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Supreme Court blocks Trump ban on transgender inmate care
The high court rejected an emergency appeal to enforce a new Bureau of Prisons policy ending hormone therapy and surgery for transgender inmates.
In brief
The high court rejected an emergency appeal to enforce a new Bureau of Prisons policy ending hormone therapy and surgery for transgender inmates. The Supreme Court left intact a lower court decision blocking the Trump administration from ending medical treatments for transgender federal prisoners. Originally reported…
Supreme Court rejects Trump appeal
The Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected an emergency appeal from the Justice Department asking it to freeze a district court order blocking a new Bureau of Prisons policy.
What the blocked policy would do
The new Bureau of Prisons policy would cut off surgical and hormone therapy treatments, as well as social accommodations, for inmates diagnosed with gender dysphoria.
Two justices would have allowed it
Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas said they would have allowed the Trump administration to enforce the change to the transgender inmate policy.
Trump's security argument
The Trump administration argued that the new policy for transgender inmates is needed to maintain institutional security in federal prisons.
Nearly one thousand inmates affected
Lawyers for the transgender inmates said the new policy would end treatment for nearly one thousand inmates in the Bureau of Prisons custody who have been receiving hormone therapy.
Treatment since nineteen ninety-two
The Bureau of Prisons has provided hormone treatment to people with gender dysphoria since nineteen ninety-two, according to lawyers representing the transgender inmates.
ACLU lawyer on the ruling
Li Nowlin-Sohl, a lawyer with the American Civil Liberties Union, said the Supreme Court's decision is critical for transgender people incarcerated in the federal system.
“The denial of medically necessary health care, including gender-affirming health care, to people in prison is a violation of their fundamental constitutional rights.”
Trump executive order triggered dispute
President Trump issued an executive order barring the use of federal funds for medical procedures or treatments for transgender inmates in Bureau of Prisons custody.
District judge blocked the policy
In June, U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth issued an order preventing the Trump administration from enforcing the February policy, requiring continued medical interventions.
“The court simply concludes that the government violated federal law when it issued a new policy restricting the provision of gender-affirming care to inmates diagnosed with gender dysphoria.”
The short version
The Supreme Court left intact a lower court decision blocking the Trump administration from ending medical treatments for transgender federal prisoners.
