Supreme Court keeps block on Trump prison policy ending transgender inmates' medical care

The Supreme Court on Wednesday turned down the Trump administration's emergency request to enforce a Federal Bureau of Prisons policy restricting medical care for transgender people in federal custody.

The unsigned order leaves a lower-court block in place while the lawsuit continues. The court gave no explanation, Courthouse News Service reported. Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito would have granted the request, according to SCOTUSblog.

What the policy would do

The 2026 policy grew out of a January 2025 executive order from President Donald Trump. It would halt surgeries, taper inmates off hormone therapy and end accommodations such as makeup and wigs, according to The Associated Press. Courthouse News reported that almost 1,000 people in federal custody would be affected.

The arguments

Solicitor General D. John Sauer told the court the policy was needed for institutional security, Deseret News reported. The government also argued that hormone treatment and social accommodations are not medically necessary for gender dysphoria, according to Courthouse News.

The case was brought by three people in federal custody whom prison officials had diagnosed with gender dysphoria. Their suit argues the policy violates the Eighth Amendment's ban on cruel and unusual punishment. The American Civil Liberties Union, which is challenging the policy, told the justices the request would upend a three-decade status quo.

A lower court found the administration lacked evidence that the treatments had caused security problems, Courthouse News reported.