The US Supreme Court has blocked the Trump administration from enforcing a new policy that would restrict medical treatment for transgender inmates in federal prisons. In an unsigned order, the court rejected an emergency appeal seeking to revive the policy, leaving a lower-court block in place.
The ruling ensures that the administration must continue providing gender-affirming care to approximately 1,000 federal inmates while litigation regarding the policy continues. This care includes the provision of hormone treatments as well as social accommodations such as makeup and wigs.
The decision represents a rare setback for President Donald Trump on transgender rights. While the court refused to lift the lower court's order, the decision included two dissents.