A federal appeals court blocked Pentagon transgender military discharge policies, ruling the restrictions violate constitutional equal protection rights.
WASHINGTON — In a major legal setback for the Trump administration’s defense policies, a federal appeals court on Monday ruled 2-1 that portions of the Pentagon’s restrictive transgender military policy are unlawful, finding that they appeared to be “driven by the bare desire to harm a politically unpopular group.”
The decision by a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit blocks the administration from removing transgender service members who are currently serving. However, the divided court left in place, for now, restrictions that prevent most new transgender recruits from enlisting while the broader legal battle continues.