The Trump administration has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to allow federal prison officials to halt certain gender-transition medical treatments for transgender inmates. This request, filed Monday, seeks to overturn lower court rulings that have blocked the policy and required continued access to hormone therapy for transgender prisoners.

Shortly after taking office, President Donald Trump issued an executive order directing that transgender women be housed in men’s prison facilities. The order also prohibited the provision of gender-transition medical treatments for gender dysphoria, a condition characterized by significant distress caused by a discrepancy between an individual’s birth sex and gender identity. The policy permits psychotherapy and the use of antidepressants but excludes hormone therapy and gender-affirming items such as preferred undergarments.

Lower courts have repeatedly enjoined the administration’s policy. In response, the Bureau of Prisons has argued that the benefits of hormone therapy for adults with gender dysphoria are unclear and that the new restrictions are necessary to maintain institutional security. The government’s solicitor general, D. John Sauer, urged the Supreme Court to intervene on an emergency basis, asserting that the government and public interest are being harmed by the continuation of the lower court injunctions.

The Supreme Court asked lawyers representing the transgender inmates to submit a response by October 8. The inmates’ lawsuit was filed by three transgender prisoners on behalf of approximately 2,000 transgender individuals in federal custody. They contend that the administration’s policy violates their constitutional rights, including the Eighth Amendment’s protection against cruel and unusual punishment, by denying medically necessary treatment prescribed by healthcare providers.

Previous court decisions have favored the inmates, with Judge Royce C. Lamberth of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia issuing several rulings that temporarily blocked the policy nationwide. He criticized the Bureau of Prisons for failing to adequately consider its own experience with providing gender-affirming care before implementing the policy. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, in a divided decision, also declined the government’s request to stay the injunction, citing insufficient explanation from prison officials regarding security concerns.

This policy forms part of a broader Trump administration effort to limit transgender rights. Other related actions include directives to withdraw federal funding from schools that permit transgender athletes to participate in girls’ and women’s sports, as well as attempts to enforce the military’s ban on transgender service members. Both issues remain before the Supreme Court.

The medical consensus among major U.S. health organizations recognizes gender-transition treatments, including hormone therapy and surgical interventions, as effective methods to treat gender dysphoria in adults, although such treatments have been the subject of debate when applied to adolescents. Advocates for transgender prisoners emphasize that denying these treatments amounts to withholding necessary medical care, while supporters of the administration’s stance stress institutional security considerations.