Trump Trans Military Ban Halted, Obama-Appointed Judge Calls It ‘Demeaning'

A federal judge on Monday partially halted the Trump administration‘s policy banning transgender individuals from military service, writing that forcing active-duty personnel out of the armed forces would likely violate the Constitution.

The 107-page ruling potentially sets up another Supreme Court fight for the White House. Obama-appointed Judge Robert Leon Wilkins stated that he found significant legal issues with what he referred to as the “Hegseth Policy,” which seeks to prevent individuals who are transgender or have a history of gender dysphoria from continuing to serve.

Judges for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit noted that the restrictions appeared "arbitrary" and unsupported by evidence. The court emphasized that the policy bars individuals based on any history of gender dysphoria-even from years prior-without demonstrating how that history impacts military readiness.

The court highlighted evidence suggesting the policy may be motivated, at least in part, by bias against transgender individuals, noting that government actions cannot be justified by a "desire to harm a politically unpopular group."

Wilkins said that the findings were backed up by policy memos and FAQs issued by the Trump administration, “all of which contain numerous statements demeaning transgender people as lacking honesty, integrity, and humility because of their gender identity.”

While the court acknowledged that the military maintains legitimate interests in unit cohesion and readiness, it concluded that the government failed to demonstrate how the policy’s sweeping exclusions were tied to those objective goals.

Newsweek reached out to the Pentagon for comment via email Monday afternoon.

Current Troops Protected for Now

A central component of the ruling maintains a lower-court injunction that protects transgender service members currently in uniform.

As a result of the ruling:

• Active-duty personnel covered by the litigation cannot be expelled under the policy while proceedings continue.
• The court determined that these service members would face immediate and irreparable harm, including the loss of their military careers and constitutional protections.
• Judges noted that the government did not dispute that the plaintiffs have served honorably and consistently met military standards

The recruitment ban remains in effect for the time being, allowing the Pentagon to continue restricting transgender individuals from enlisting while the legal battle unfolds.

The case has been remanded to the district court for further proceedings, though the legal trajectory suggests it could ultimately be elevated to the Supreme Court.

This is a breaking news story. Updates to follow.

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This story was originally published June 1, 2026 at 1:59 PM.