A U.S. federal judge on Tuesday temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s ban on transgender individuals serving in the military, citing the principle of equality and delivering a setback—at least for now—to the president’s policy agenda.
Judge Ana C. Reyes referenced the U.S. Declaration of Independence, which affirms that all people are “created equal,” as she suspended President Donald Trump’s late January order barring transgender individuals from military service.
However, Reyes delayed the suspension’s enforcement until March 21, allowing the government time to seek an emergency stay from a higher court.
The ruling marks a significant challenge to Trump’s administration, which has actively sought to roll back protections for minority groups.
Trump’s January 27 executive order declared that recognizing a “false gender identity” different from an individual’s biological sex does not meet the military’s strict standards for service.
Since taking office, he has also mandated that the U.S. government only recognize two sexes—male and female—asserting they are immutable.
Approximately 15,000 transgender individuals are estimated to be serving in the U.S. military, which has a total force of around two million personnel.
In her ruling, Reyes used particularly sharp language to denounce the ban.
“The Military Ban is soaked in animus and dripping with pretext,” she wrote. “Its language is unabashedly demeaning, its policy stigmatizes transgender persons as inherently unfit, and its conclusions bear no relation to fact.”
She further argued that the administration had the opportunity to create a policy balancing military readiness with equal protection rights. “They still can,” Reyes noted. “The Military Ban, however, is not that policy.”
In February, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a memo preventing transgender individuals from enlisting and halting gender transition treatments for active-duty service members.
The Pentagon also announced plans to remove transgender troops unless they obtained individual waivers.
The policy reversals on transgender military service have shifted with each administration. The initial ban was lifted in 2016 under President Barack Obama, reinstated under Trump, reversed again under Joe Biden, and now reimposed by Trump in his second term.
The issue reflects broader political divisions in the U.S., as Democratic- and Republican-led states continue to enact opposing policies on transgender rights, from medical care to book restrictions in schools.
Tuesday’s ruling came in response to a lawsuit filed by transgender individuals who are either currently serving in the military or seeking to enlist, challenging Trump’s latest executive order.
