DOJ petitions Supreme Court to uphold rule ending transgender inmate medical care

The Justice Department filed an emergency petition to the Supreme Court seeking approval for a Bureau of Prisons policy that eliminates federal funding for medical interventions and social accommodations for transgender inmates. The move comes after a federal district judge ordered the Trump administration to continue providing such care to a class of prisoners diagnosed with gender dysphoria. The policy originated from an executive order by Donald Trump that barred the use of federal money for gender-transition procedures in prisons, later reinforced by bureau guidance restricting clothing and other accommodations.

In February, the bureau issued a new rule stating it would maintain mental-health services but discontinue hormone therapy, surgeries, and items like wigs or chest binders. Judge Royce Lamberth blocked the rule in June, prompting the DOJ’s appeal. Earlier this month, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit refused to restore the policy while the case proceeds.