The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to let the Trump administration enforce its new rule that would strip transgender inmates of hormone therapy and other gender‑affirming care. The order, issued under an executive directive, required the Bureau of Prisons to cease spending federal funds on treatments the administration said were meant to ‘conform an inmate’s appearance to the opposite sex’. Under the directive, prisons would halt surgeries, phase out hormone therapy, and eliminate makeup or wig accommodations, though mental‑health services would remain. Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas dissented, arguing the policy should have been allowed to take effect as the case progressed through lower courts.
Judge Royce Lamberth had already barred the policy in 2024, citing the severe mental‑health risks of untreated gender dysphoria. He noted that cutting hormone therapy could trigger depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation.
Inmates argue that the administration failed to present evidence linking hormone therapy to security threats, and that stopping treatment would have significant physiological and psychological impacts.
The Supreme Court left the lower‑court stay in effect, so inmates can keep receiving care while the case proceeds. A hearing is set for December.