Trump admin seeks US Supreme Court nod for policy banning transgender from military service

The Trump administration has asked the US Supreme Court to intervene in a legal battle over its policy banning transgender people from serving in the military, seeking to clear the way for the discharge of about two dozen service members.According to The Washington Post, the administration has filed an emergency request seeking to lift a lower-court injunction that has allowed 28 transgender service members to remain in the military while their lawsuit challenging the policy proceeds.The case stems from an executive order signed by President Donald Trump shortly after he returned to office, directing the Pentagon to remove transgender service members. The Defence Department formally implemented the policy in February 2025.The administration argued that the executive branch has broad authority to determine military eligibility and that courts should defer to the Defence Department on questions of military readiness and effectiveness. Solicitor General D John Sauer urged the Supreme Court to intervene before the case reaches a full trial.The transgender service members, led by Army Reserve Second Lieutenant Nicolas Talbott, have argued that removing them before a final ruling would cause irreparable harm.In June, a divided three-judge panel of the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit upheld protections for the 28 service members, finding that the policy appeared to be driven by prejudice rather than military necessity.The administration's latest request marks a fresh escalation in the legal fight. The Supreme Court's conservative majority had previously allowed the administration to temporarily enforce the transgender military ban in an emergency ruling in May 2025.The Supreme Court is expected to decide this fall whether to take up the case for full review. If it agrees, a ruling could come during the court's upcoming term and potentially determine the constitutionality of Trump's transgender military policy.Catch the latest World News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.