The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday blocked the Trump administration’s attempt to immediately halt certain gender-transition medical treatments for transgender inmates in federal prisons. The court issued an unsigned, unexplained order that maintained a lower court’s injunction preventing the enforcement of a policy banning such treatments.

The ruling affects approximately 1,000 transgender federal prisoners diagnosed with gender dysphoria, a condition characterized by significant distress resulting from a mismatch between an individual’s assigned birth sex and gender identity. The inmates challenged the Bureau of Prisons’ new policy, which was introduced under the Trump administration and prohibited the use of federal funds for medical procedures that support gender transition, including hormone therapy and surgery.

The Supreme Court’s order keeps in place protections stemming from a series of rulings by Judge Royce C. Lamberth of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He had previously mandated that prison officials continue providing gender-affirming medical care, including hormone treatments, social accommodations such as makeup and wigs, and surgeries. Lamberth’s rulings emphasized that denying such care could lead to serious mental health risks, including increased depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, and self-harm. He also noted that continuing treatments posed no threats to public safety or the administration of justice.

While the Supreme Court’s conservative majority allowed the injunction to stand temporarily, justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas dissented, signaling they would have permitted the administration to enforce the ban during ongoing litigation. The Trump administration argued that the policy was necessary to maintain institutional security and that denial of treatments reflected biological realities.

The policy in question derived from a January 2025 executive order by President Donald Trump that barred federal prison officials from spending funds on gender-transition procedures and treatments but allowed other care options such as psychotherapy and certain medications, including antidepressants.

This prison healthcare policy is part of broader measures by the Trump administration aimed at transgender individuals. These include directives to withdraw federal funding from schools permitting transgender athletes to compete on girls' and women's teams and attempts to bar transgender people from military service. The military ban has also faced legal challenges, with its enforcement currently pending Supreme Court review.

Advocates for transgender prisoners, including legal representatives from civil rights organizations, argue that gender-affirming care is medically necessary and protected under the Constitution’s Eighth Amendment prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment. The Department of Justice, however, has indicated plans to continue appealing the court decisions.

The Supreme Court’s action, while temporary, underscores ongoing national debates over the provision of gender-affirming care and rights for transgender individuals, especially within federal institutions. The broader legal battles over transgender rights in school athletics, military service, and youth medical treatments remain active and continue to draw sharply divided opinions from the nation’s highest court.