Lawyer explains Supreme Court decision on medical treatment for transgender inmates

On October 21, 2026, the Supreme Court ruled that the Trump administration cannot enforce its new policy restricting treatment for transgender prison inmates in federal custody. The court’s decision, which was made without explanation and supported by Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito dissenting, upholds a lower court injunction blocking the policy. This policy, announced via an executive order in January 2025, aimed to roll back transgender rights by restricting gender-affirming care such as hormone treatments and surgeries for the approximately 1,000 transgender inmates in federal prisons. The American Civil Liberties Union played a key role in opposing this policy, arguing that it lacked support from medical professionals and violated existing policies on inmate treatment.