Judge blocks Trump-ordered transfer of 12 trans women to male jails

A federal judge has halted the Trump administration’s attempt to transfer 12 transgender women inmates to male prisons, ruling that the policy likely violates the Eighth Amendment’s ban on cruel and unusual punishment.

US District Judge Royce Lamberth initially issued an injunction for three inmates earlier this month, extending the ruling on Monday to block the transfer of nine more.

The judge found that removing the possibility of housing the inmates in a women’s facility contradicts existing legal standards on prison assignments.

The move directly challenges a Trump executive order issued in January, which ended LGBTQ protections in federal institutions and mandated that "males are not detained in women’s prisons."

The administration argued the policy was about security, but plaintiffs feared losing access to gender-related medical care.

Since returning to office, Trump has aggressively rolled back transgender rights, including banning gender-affirming care for minors and targeting diversity programs.

The case will likely escalate as the administration pushes back against the ruling.