WorldPosted at: Sep 28 2026 11:11PM


Trump administration asks US SC to lift block on transgender inmate care restrictions

Washington, Sep 28 (UNI) The Trump administration has asked the US Supreme Court to lift a lower-court block on a Bureau of Prisons policy that would restrict transgender inmates' access to hormone treatment, gender-affirming surgery and certain social accommodations.
The administration filed an emergency application on Monday, arguing that the policy should be allowed to take effect while litigation continues. Solicitor General D John Sauer said blocking the Bureau of Prisons' policy was causing "irreparable harm" to the government and the public, and argued that prison officials should have authority to determine what treatment is appropriate within federal facilities.
Under the policy, inmates already receiving hormone treatment would be placed on a tapering programme rather than continuing treatment indefinitely. The Bureau of Prisons would also stop providing social accommodations such as hair-removal devices to inmates diagnosed with gender dysphoria. The policy separately bars gender-affirming surgery, with limited exceptions.
The request follows a September 18 ruling by the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, which declined to lift a lower court's injunction. The appeals court said the Bureau of Prisons had failed to adequately consider its own experience providing gender-affirming care under its previous policy and had made claims about security concerns without addressing whether such problems had actually occurred.
The case, Kingdom v Trump, was brought by transgender federal inmates challenging the administration's restrictions on gender-affirming care. The class action covers people in Bureau of Prisons custody who have been diagnosed with gender dysphoria.
The policy stems from an executive order Trump signed on January 20, 2025, directing that federal funds not be used for medical procedures intended to make an inmate's appearance conform to that of the opposite sex. The Bureau of Prisons later issued implementing guidance and a formal policy reflecting the order.
Sauer cited previous Supreme Court decisions involving transgender rights in urging the justices to intervene. He argued that the court had recognised the authority of politically accountable officials to determine what forms of treatment should be permitted for gender dysphoria.
The case now moves to Chief Justice John Roberts, who handles emergency applications arising from the District of Columbia. He can act on the request himself or refer it to the full Supreme Court.
The administration has repeatedly turned to the Supreme Court's emergency docket to seek temporary relief from lower-court rulings blocking elements of Trump's policies. The legal battle over treatment for transgender inmates is part of a wider series of challenges to the administration's transgender policies.
In the underlying case, US District Judge Royce Lamberth, a Reagan appointee, has repeatedly ruled against the administration. In June, he issued an order requiring the Bureau of Prisons to continue providing hormones and social accommodations under the policy that was in effect before Trump's January 2025 executive order.
The D.C. Circuit later declined to suspend that ruling, finding that the government had not made a strong showing that it was likely to succeed on the merits.
The Supreme Court has already considered several cases involving transgender rights during Trump's current term, including disputes over transgender military service, participation in school sports and access to gender-affirming care for minors.
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