Trump Bars Transgender Women From U.S. Prisons for Female Inmates [View all]
Trump Bars Transgender Women From U.S. Prisons for Female Inmates
In an executive order, the president also moved to end gender-related medical treatments for transgender people in prison.

There are about 1,500 federal prisoners who are transgender women, according to the Bureau of Prisons. Marco Bello/Reuters
By Shaila Dewan and Amy Harmon
Jan. 23, 2025
President Trump has ordered federal prisons to house inmates who are transgender women in mens facilities and halt medical treatments related to gender transition.
The move was part of a
wide-ranging executive order issued by Mr. Trump on his first day in office meant to limit government recognition of an individuals gender to their sex at birth.
The directive on prisoners also applies to immigration detainees and is among the more concrete parts of the order. Mr. Trump set some restrictions on housing and health care for transgender prisoners in his previous term, but the new order was more far-reaching.
The Womens Liberation Front, which defines women based on sex at birth and advocates single-sex prisons, called the directive a major victory. The group is challenging a California law that allows prisoners to request housing that aligns with their gender identity. It argues that the law violates the constitutional rights of female inmates who are not transgender, including the Eighth Amendment right to protection from cruel and unusual punishment.
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Shaila Dewan covers criminal justice policing, courts and prisons across the country. She has been a journalist for 25 years.
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Amy Harmon covers how shifting conceptions of gender affect everyday life in the United States.
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