Supreme Court blocks Trump administration from denying gender-transition care to federal detainees

The U.S. Supreme Court has issued an unsigned, unexplained order temporarily preventing the Trump administration from denying certain gender-transition medical treatments to transgender inmates in federal prisons.

The ruling stems from a legal challenge brought by three transgender individuals in federal custody who had been previously diagnosed with gender dysphoria and prescribed medical treatments. The lawsuit argued that new Bureau of Prisons policies prohibiting such care violated Eighth Amendment protections against cruel and unusual punishment.

As a result of this decision, as many as 1,000 federal prisoners diagnosed with gender dysphoria will continue to receive transition-related treatments while litigation regarding the policy proceeds. The court's order maintains a previous block on the policy that has been in place since June 2025.