A federal judge has temporarily halted a new policy from the Defense Department that would prevent transgender individuals from serving in the U.S. military. U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes issued a preliminary injunction in response to a request from transgender service members and those seeking to enlist. This decision stops the enforcement of President Trump's executive order and related guidance that aimed to bar transgender people from military service.
Judge Reyes, appointed by former President Joe Biden, delayed the effect of her order until March 21, allowing the Justice Department time to appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Her ruling followed extensive hearings where she questioned the Defense Department's rationale for the ban.
In her detailed decision, Reyes highlighted the contributions of transgender service members and emphasized the principle of equality, stating, "all means all." Jennifer Levi, a lead attorney in the case, praised the ruling as clear and powerful, expressing confidence that it would withstand appeal.
The Justice Department criticized the ruling, labeling it as an example of judicial overreach. The policy in question stemmed from an executive order by President Trump, which directed the implementation of a policy based on troop readiness and revoked a previous measure by President Biden that allowed transgender individuals to serve.
Following Trump's directive, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth issued a memo in February that halted the recruitment of new transgender service members and paused gender-affirming care. The Pentagon later indicated plans to begin discharging transgender troops unless they received a waiver.
The lawsuit challenging the ban was filed by a group of transgender service members and recruits, arguing that the policy was unconstitutional. Judge Reyes found that the challengers were likely to succeed in their claim that the ban discriminates based on sex and transgender status, and she criticized the policy as being motivated by unconstitutional bias.
Reyes noted that the policy could have been crafted to balance military readiness with equal protection rights, but the current ban failed to do so. Her decision is expected to be appealed by the Justice Department, marking another legal challenge for the Trump administration, which has faced several setbacks from federal judges. A separate challenge to the military ban is ongoing in Washington state.
President Trump previously attempted to ban transgender individuals from military service in 2017, but those efforts were blocked by federal courts. A revised policy was implemented in 2018 and remained until the Biden administration reversed it.