Trump asks Supreme Court to allow trans military ban to proceed

The Trump administration is once again seeking the intervention of the Supreme Court in a legal battle over its ban on transgender troops serving in the military. The Justice Department filed a request on Thursday asking the high court to overturn a lower court’s ruling that temporarily halted the ban.

The administration is urging the Supreme Court to lift the injunction imposed by the lower court, which prevents the military from disqualifying individuals with gender dysphoria or those who have undergone medical interventions for gender dysphoria. The administration argues that the policy is necessary for military readiness and national security.

President Donald Trump issued an executive order on January 27 directing the Defense Department to revise its guidelines on transgender individuals serving in the military. The order also called for the rescission of any guidance that is deemed inconsistent with military readiness.

The legal battle began when U.S. District Judge Benjamin Settle issued a preliminary injunction in March, blocking the administration from identifying and removing transgender service members while the case is ongoing. The administration appealed to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, but a three-judge panel rejected its request to stay the injunction.

Despite the administration’s arguments that the policy is crucial for military readiness and cohesion, the Ninth Circuit declined to grant an administrative stay, preventing the ban from being enforced while the legal challenge continues.

The policy has faced several legal challenges, including a lawsuit filed in Washington, D.C. On March 27, a three-judge panel on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals temporarily halted a lower court’s order blocking the ban. The panel emphasized that the stay should not be seen as a ruling on the merits of the case.

U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes also denied the administration’s motion to dissolve her earlier injunction blocking the ban. She expressed concerns about rushing the appeals process and wanted to allow more time for the legal proceedings to unfold.

The legal battle over the transgender military ban continues to unfold, with the Trump administration fighting to enforce the policy despite legal challenges. The Supreme Court’s intervention may ultimately determine the fate of transgender individuals serving in the military.