US Supreme Court rebuffs Trump administration restrictions on medical care for transgender inmates

On Wednesday, the US Supreme Court declined to allow the Trump administration to immediately implement new medical restrictions for transgender inmates in federal prisons. The ruling maintains a block imposed by a lower court on the policy. The policy was established following an executive order from President Donald Trump, a Republican who has taken steps to reverse transgender rights during his second term.

The order did not provide details on its legal reasoning. Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas would have permitted the policy to be enforced as the lawsuit progressed through lower courts. The Supreme Court has previously permitted other Trump administration policies for transgender individuals, such as restrictions on military service and passport sex markers.

The Trump administration's order instructed the Bureau of Prisons to modify its medical care policies, preventing federal funds from being used to "conform an inmate’s appearance to that of the opposite sex." This would halt surgeries, reduce hormone usage, and end social accommodations like makeup and wigs.