Trump Administration Asks Supreme Court to Suspend Treatment Decision for Prisoners

The Trump administration has made an official application to the U.S. Supreme Court so that the decision preventing gender-affirming care for transgender individuals held in federal prisons can be implemented while lower court proceedings continue.

Emergency Petition to the Supreme Court

The U.S. administration has filed an emergency petition with the Supreme Court to block gender-affirming care processes for transgender individuals in federal prisons. Acting Solicitor General D. John Sauer requested that such care services be halted while the litigation in lower courts is ongoing.

Presidential Decree and Its Scope

The decree signed in January 2025 prohibits the use of federal funds for medical procedures and medications that would align prisoners' appearances with the opposite sex. Within this scope, restrictions are imposed on surgeries, hormone therapies, and various social transition materials.

Legal Process and Lower Court Decisions

As a result of lawsuits filed by transgender prisoners against the administration, two separate lower courts had temporarily blocked the administration from putting this decision into effect. The government, in turn, is requesting the intervention of the Supreme Court to lift these blocks.

Judicial Decisions and Next Steps

The Supreme Court has asked lawyers to submit their defenses against the government's request by October 8. The court is known to have taken a favorable approach toward the administration's policies regarding transgender rights in the past.