It’s becoming more clear that President Donald Trump is not really in charge of the Executive Branch. It’s federal judges who are in charge, even of the military.
In the latest decision, U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes wrote that the Pentagon cannot enforce Trump’s order banning transgender people from serving in the military, saying it discriminates on the basis of sex.
After Trump signed the Jan. 27 executive order, six service members and two transgenders seeking to enlist in the military sued, saying it was a violation of their constitutional rights.
Trump’s order said that transgenders do not “satisfy the rigorous standards necessary for military service” because they threaten the lethality of the armed forces and undermine unit cohesion, an argument long used to keep marginalized communities from serving.
“The Court knows that this opinion will lead to heated public debate and appeals,” Reyes wrote. “In a healthy democracy, both are positive outcomes.”
“The cruel irony is that thousands of transgender servicemembers have sacrificed — some risking their lives — to ensure for others the very equal protection rights the Military Ban seeks to deny them,” Reyes wrote.
As of early March 2025, at least 15 to 24 judicial blocks had been imposed on Trump’s executive actions. This number is includes everything from injunctions on policies like birthright citizenship (blocked by four judges), federal funding pauses (blocked by two judges), and transgender healthcare restrictions (blocked by judges). However, some orders were upheld, others overturned, and most are under appeal and will land in the Supreme Court eventually.
Transgender individuals require ongoing medical attention to help them retain their cross-sex appearance and functionality. Some military experts say that makes them unsuitable for deployment into battle zones.
