US court upholds injunction against Trump policy banning transgender troops

A US appeals court has issued a split decision regarding President Trump's policy banning transgender individuals from military service. The court upheld a lower court's ruling that the policy violates the Constitution for currently enlisted service members, preventing their dismissal. However, the majority decision did not extend this protection to those seeking to enlist, allowing the administration to continue barring new transgender recruits. One judge argued the policy was discriminatory and driven by a desire to harm a politically unpopular group, while another judge dissented, questioning the court's authority to overrule military policy. This fractured ruling is unlikely to immediately alter current military policy as the legal challenges continue.

A divided panel of federal appeal court judges has ruled that a Pentagon policy illegally banned transgender troops from military service. The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia circuit's majority opinion stated the Trump administration's policy was designed to exclude individuals based on their gender identity. This ruling is a legal setback for President Trump's agenda. However, the ban will remain in effect for now, as the US Supreme Court allowed it to proceed last year while litigation continues. The appeal court has also put its own ruling on hold to permit further appeals, and the ban currently applies to those already serving, not those seeking to enlist.

An appeals court has ruled that transgender troops can remain in the U.S. military, but the armed services can continue to block their enlistment. This split decision by a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for Washington D.C. largely upholds a previous injunction preventing the dismissal of active-duty transgender service members. The majority opinion stated that the ban on transgender people serving is "arbitrary, and based on animus." The government is expected to challenge this ruling, potentially leading to a Supreme Court review. The decision represents a rebuke of the Trump administration's policy that sought to remove transgender individuals from service, citing concerns about military readiness and a disciplined lifestyle.

A divided panel of federal appeals court judges ruled that a Trump administration policy illegally banned transgender troops from military service. The majority opinion largely upholds a previous district court ruling that President Trump's executive order to exclude transgender troops likely violates their constitutional rights. The appeals court narrowed the injunction to only apply to currently serving military members, not those seeking to join. The ruling is not immediately effective, allowing time for further appeals. The policy, implemented in January 2025, claimed transgender identity conflicts with military discipline and readiness.