A US federal judge, Benjamin Settle, has issued a temporary block on President Trump's ban on transgender individuals serving in the military, emphasizing the lack of persuasive justification from the government. This marks the second nationwide injunction in two weeks against the ban, which critics argue is discriminatory. Previous rulings by US District Judge Ana Reyes have also blocked this policy, highlighting its detrimental impact on current and prospective transgender military personnel. Concerns remain that if enforced, the ban could affect thousands of military members and their careers.
"The government's arguments are not persuasive, and it is not an especially close question on this record," Settle wrote.
"We are confident the court will recognize that the true harm to our armed forces comes not from retaining these tremendous assets, but from forcing them out," Jennifer Levi, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, said in an email.
Judge Settle ruled that transgender service members would suffer "irreparable harm of losing the military service career they have chosen" if removed.
The lawsuit against the ban was filed by current and prospective service members who labelled the policy as discriminatory.
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