A federal court of appeals circuit in D.C. warned the Trump administration to not act against transgender servicemembers while a potential ban is working through the court system.
The Trump administration was warned by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on Thursday to not act against transgender military members while a federal judge’s order to block a ban on them was being appealed.
The Department of Defense (DOD) led by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, filed a notice to appeal Washington, D.C.-based U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes’ denial of their motion to dissolve her order that prevents the military from denying transgender people the ability to enlist in the military on Wednesday.
The Biden-appointed judge presided over a hearing on March 21, when she requested the DOD delay its original deadline to enact the policy on March 26.
On March 21, the defendants in the suit, who include President Donald Trump and Hegseth, filed a motion to dissolve the injunction blocking the Pentagon’s ban. The filing argued that the policy is not an overarching ban but instead «turns on gender dysphoria – a medical condition – and does not discriminate against trans-identifying persons as a class.»
The Trump administration further requested that, if the motion to dissolve is denied, the court should stay the preliminary injunction pending appeal.
