by Lindsay Whitehurst
The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to allow the Trump administration to immediately enforce new medical restrictions for transgender people in prison.
The decision leaves in place a lower-court block on the policy. It was adopted after an executive order from President Trump, who’s taken several steps to roll back transgender rights during his second term.
Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas would have allowed the policy to be enforced.
The Supreme Court has previously allowed other policies for transgender people to move ahead for now, including restrictions on military serviceand passport sex markers.
Trump’s order called on the Bureau of Prisons to revise its medical care policies so federal funds aren’t spent “for the purpose of conforming an inmate’s appearance to that of the opposite sex.”
The new policy would halt surgeries, taper off hormones and end social accommodations like makeup and wigs. Prisons would continue to offer mental health services.

