Transgender troops ask federal judge for temporary restraining order against Trump administration

At an emergency hearing held over Zoom on Monday afternoon, Washington, D.C., U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes made clear she is prepared to issue temporary restraining orders to protect transgender service members if the federal government fails to provide concrete assurances by Tuesday morning. The Trump administration’s enforcement of its renewed ban on transgendermilitary service, as Reyes considers whether to enforce a preliminary injunction she issued last week, is already causing serious harm, plaintiffs say—and Reyes signaled she agrees.

Keep up with the latest in LGBTQ+ news and politics. Sign up for The Advocate's email newsletter.

The hearing followed a tense, nearly two-hour session on Friday during which Reyes slammed the Department of Justice’s last-minute efforts to dissolve her preliminary injunction blocking the ban. At issue Monday: five individual plaintiffs who say they are facing career-ending consequences right now despite the court’s previous order, according to documents filed with the court.

At issue Monday were five individual plaintiffs who say they are facing immediate, irreparable harm, despite the court’s prior ruling. DOJ attorney Jean Lin told the court that at least some of the plaintiffs — including Master Sgt. Jamie Hash and Senior Airman Vera Wolf — were not currently barred from career advancement and could be accommodated in the future. She argued that Hash could finish her Georgetown seminar course later in the year and that Wolf’s request to transfer to a linguist position was not necessarily denied.

Trending stories

Elon Musk deadnames his 'killed' child — his trans daughter claps back

How climate disasters hurt mental health in young people

Exclusive: Mike Maimone honors late husband Howard Bragman in new single “On My Way”

SFAF's Dr. Tyler TerMeer says he'll continue to fight for health care for all

Gerald Garth is determined to keep people of color happy and healthy through trying times

BREAKING NEWS: Trump admin moves to end federal HIV prevention programs

Discover why chic Costa Navarino is Europe's luxury getaway

'White Lotus' S3 E6 recap: We need to talk about the incest storyline

Pride journey Walla Walla: An LGBTQ+ wine, food, and adventure getaway

Trump's orders prompt CDC to erase HIV resources

Kelly Marie Tran says all of her roles are queer — including her latest in 'Control Freak'

10 lesbian sports movies that are total game-changers

Lana Ja'Rae was the ingenue of 'Drag Race' S17. Why are you mad, sis?

All 6 rogue Mississippi cops got long prison sentences in 'Goon Squad' torture of 2 Black men

Elon Musk uses burner accounts on X, doesn’t fact-check: report

France becomes world’s first country to enshrine abortion rights in constitution

Lexi Love goes public with HIV status after Trump wipes resources from federal website

Vivian Wilson calls father Elon Musk a 'pathetic manchild' in new tell-all interview

11 hypocritical MAGA politicians and supporters accused of sexual harassment and assault

Suzie Toot says the 'RuPaul's Drag Race' cast 'got hate crimed' in Las Vegas

Yellowjackets' Liv Hewson: Breaking Hollywood's binary is 'doable'

Where to stay in LGBTQ+ Ireland: Castles, domes and luxury retreats

From rock legends to Pride flags: Discover the vibrant LGBTQ+ scene in Asbury Park

How RuPaul dragified Las Vegas with a triumphant comeback

Joe Biden has tied the record for most LGBTQ+ judges confirmed in federal courts

• 0
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8

Related: Federal judge dismantles Trump's trans military ban in explosive hearing

But Reyes wasn’t convinced, demanding written confirmation from the government by 9 a.m. Tuesday that Hash can complete her course, that Wolf is actively being considered for the linguist slot, and that Lt. Col. Ashley Davis will retain her standing as the top candidate in her unit for Air War College.

Reyes said she is particularly inclined to grant emergency relief for Air Force Academy cadet Hunter Marquez and Officer Candidate School trainee Samuel Ahearn. Both say they have been sidelined from core training experiences and placed in statuses that imply disciplinary or substandard performance. Lin claimed that Ahearn is serving “in his preferred sex” while in the transitional group, but Reyes pushed back, questioning why he remains isolated in a unit for those deemed unfit.

“These are people whose daily lives are being affected in extraordinarily serious ways,” GLAD Law’s Jennifer Levi told the court. GLAD Law and the National Center for Lesbian Rights represent the plaintiffs in the case.

Related: Fireworks in D.C. courtroom as judge hears DOJ request to undo block on trans military ban

Earlier on Monday, lawyers added 12 plaintiffs to the case, making the total 32 transgender people who are serving in or are in the process of joining the U.S. military.

Speaking to The Advocate after the hearing, NCLR legal director Shannon Minter sounded confident. He said the judge “recognizes the harm that’s happening” and the injustice of the ban. “We’re just going to keep trying everything we can to get these plaintiffs as much relief as we can,” he added.

A ruling on the administration’s broader request to lift the injunction is expected later this week. An appeal to the D.C. Circuit is likely to follow, with the court first deciding whether to keep Reyes’s preliminary injunction in place or to stay it.