Federal Judge Blocks Trump’s Ban on Transgender Military Service
A federal judge ruled on Tuesday to block the enforcement of President Donald Trump’s executive order that sought to ban transgender individuals from serving in the U.S. military.
U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes, based in Washington, D.C., concluded that Trump’s directive likely violated the constitutional rights of transgender service members.
This ruling came as the second of the day against the Trump administration. Both decisions were issued within hours of a rare public clash, as Trump called for the impeachment of a third judge who had temporarily halted deportation flights. The move prompted a rare rebuke from Chief Justice John Roberts.
Judge Reyes, nominated by President Joe Biden, delayed her ruling until Friday morning to allow time for the administration to appeal.
“The court knows that this opinion will lead to heated public debate and appeals. In a healthy democracy, both are positive outcomes,” Reyes wrote. “We should all agree, however, that every person who has answered the call to serve deserves our gratitude and respect.”
Reyes emphasized the weight of her decision, acknowledging that “judicial overreach is no less pernicious than executive overreach.” However, she stressed that it was the role of each government branch to provide checks and balances, and thus, the court must act to uphold the equal protection rights that the military defends.
“The cruel irony is that thousands of transgender service members have sacrificed—some risking their lives—to ensure for others the very equal protection rights the military ban seeks to deny them,” Reyes added.
Army Reserves 2nd Lt. Nicolas Talbott, one of the 14 transgender active-duty service members named as plaintiffs in the lawsuit, expressed relief. “This is such a sigh of relief,” he said. “This is all I’ve ever wanted to do. This is my dream job, and I finally have it. And I was so terrified that I was about to lose it.”
Trump’s deputy chief of staff, Stephen Miller, criticized the ruling on social media, stating, “District court judges have now decided they are in command of the Armed Forces… is there no end to this madness?”
The judge issued a preliminary injunction, as requested by attorneys representing individuals seeking to join the military.
In 2016, the Department of Defense had implemented a policy allowing transgender individuals to serve openly. However, during Trump’s presidency, the administration introduced a directive banning transgender service members, which the Supreme Court allowed to take effect. Upon taking office, President Joe Biden reversed this ban.
