In a significant legal ruling, Donald Trump’s ban on transgender people in the military has been indefinitely blocked by a federal judge who said his plan was “littered with animus.”
Donald Trump’s entry into politics was nothing short of a political earthquake. From his unconventional rhetoric to his rapid policy shifts, he stunned both allies and opponents.
Once in office, Trump wasted no time in delivering on his promises – often in ways that bypassed traditional political channels. Executive orders became his preferred tool for swift action, allowing him to implement policies without congressional delays.
One of his actions, announced only one week after his return to the White House, was the resurrection of a controversial ban he first announced in 2017 with a tweet, declaring that the U.S. military “cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail.”
Despite widespread backlash from civil rights organizations, military leaders, and even some Republican lawmakers, the ban officially took effect in 2019. It prevented transgender individuals from enlisting unless they served in their sex assigned at birth, effectively barring most openly transgender people from military service.
However, the policy didn’t last long.
When President Joe Biden took office in 2021, he swiftly reversed the ban through an executive order, restoring transgender individuals’ right to serve openly.
But Trump, never one to back down, recently revived his push for the ban – leading to legal battles that have now resulted in a significant judicial ruling.
‘Processed for separation’
The new action, titled Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness that argues “the Armed Forces have been afflicted with radical gender ideology to appease activists unconcerned with the requirements of military service.”
The document aimed to bad transgender individuals – or those with “a false ‘gender identity’” – from serving as the “adoption of a gender identity inconsistent with an individual’s sex conflicts with a soldier’s commitment to an honorable, truthful, and disciplined lifestyle, even in one’s personal life.”
In February 2025, implementing Trump’s order, the Pentagon released its plan to kick transgender service members out of the military.
“Service members who have a current diagnosis or history of, or exhibit symptoms consistent with, gender dysphoria will be processed for separation from military service,” said the memo, according to CNN.
The media outlet explained that currently, “there are 4,240 service members across active-duty, reserve, and the National Guard with a diagnosis of gender dysphoria, defined as the psychological distress an individual feels when their gender identity differs from their gender at birth.”
‘Cruel irony’
But, in a major legal blow to Trump’s efforts, a federal judge ruled against reinstating the transgender military ban, stating that such a policy violates constitutional protections.
In a harsh ruling, US District Judge Ana Reyes – nominated by Biden in 2023 – said the administration cannot enforce the ban, that says trans people “lack the requisite warrior ethos.”
In the ruling, Reyes writes that the ban “is littered with animus and pretext,” and “its language is unabashedly demeaning, its policy stigmatizes transgender persons as inherently unfit, and its conclusions bear no relation to fact.”
“Indeed, the cruel irony is that thousands of transgender servicemembers have sacrificed – some risking their lives – to ensure for others the very equal protection rights the Military Ban seeks to deny them,” she wrote.
Judge Reyes emphasized that while the government could create a policy that respects both “the Nation’s need for a prepared military and Americans’ right to equal protection,” Trump’s ban does not achieve that balance. “The Military Ban, however, is not that policy,” she explained. “The Court therefore must act to uphold the equal protection rights that the military defends every day.”
Although Reyes issued her ruling on March 18, she delayed the enforcement of the preliminary injunction until Friday, March 21, giving Trump’s administration time to appeal.
The “decisive ruling speaks volumes,” Jennifer Levi, an attorney with GLAD Law, told CNN. “The Court’s unambiguous factual findings lay bare how this ban specifically targets and undermines our courageous service members who have committed themselves to defending our nation. Given the Court’s clear-eyed assessment, we are confident this ruling will stand strong on appeal.”
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