Care continues for transgender inmates as Supreme Court rejects Trump bid to restrict medical treatments during lawsuit

Supreme Court leaves order intact

The policy would stop surgical and hormone therapy treatments, along with social accommodations, for inmates diagnosed with gender dysphoria. It would also allow hormone treatment to be gradually discontinued for inmates already receiving it.

Policy followed executive order

The dispute began after President Trump issued an executive order barring federal funds for medical procedures or treatments for transgender people in Bureau of Prisons custody. The bureau adopted its new policy in February, citing the order and saying its approach reflected current scientific information and prison security and administration concerns.

The rules also ended social accommodations such as breast padding, binders, wigs and makeup. The administration said the policy was intended to maintain institutional security.

Inmates challenged treatment cuts

The challengers argued that the administration offered no evidence showing whether bureau healthcare providers considered the restricted treatments effective, ineffective or harmful. They also said the agency had not identified a security incident related to providing the care.

Lower courts blocked policy

In June, U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth barred enforcement of the February policy and ordered the Bureau of Prisons to continue medical interventions and social accommodations for a class of inmates. He later extended the order in August.

A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit declined to lift the injunction in a 2-1 decision. The panel said the bureau had not adequately considered its prior experience providing gender-affirming care and had not shown it was likely to prevail in the case.