Federal Judge Blocks Idaho Transgender Bathroom Law

U.S. District Judge Amanda K. Brailsford, a Biden appointee, issued a preliminary injunction halting enforcement of Idaho’s House Bill 752. The law would have criminalized transgender people for using restrooms or changing rooms that do not match their sex assigned at birth, with penalties of up to one year in jail for a first offense and up to five years for repeat violations.

The judge said the statute is likely unconstitutional because it is vague and leaves critical enforcement decisions—such as determining a person’s “biological sex”—to individual police officers, risking arbitrary and discriminatory application. The injunction grants provisional class‑action status to transgender Idahoans, allowing them to use single‑stall restrooms that correspond to their gender identity and multi‑user restrooms when no single‑stall alternative is available.

State officials, including Attorney General Raúl Labrador, plan to appeal the decision. The law, described as the most restrictive bathroom ban in the United States, applies to both public buildings and private businesses such as restaurants and offices. ACLU of Idaho welcomed the ruling, stating, “This decision means transgender people in Idaho can continue to participate in public life without fear of arrest.”