A federal judge in Boston has issued a temporary restraining order blocking the Trump administration from transferring a transgender woman from a women’s prison to a men’s facility and denying her access to gender-affirming medical care. The ruling marks the first legal challenge to President Donald Trump’s executive order targeting what he called “gender ideology extremism.”
Judge Issues Temporary Restraining Order
The order was issued Sunday by U.S. District Judge George O’Toole in response to a lawsuit filed by the inmate, known by the pseudonym Maria Moe. The case was initially sealed but was made public on Thursday as a hearing was underway to determine whether further legal protections should be granted.
The restraining order temporarily prevents the Bureau of Prisons from transferring Moe to a men’s facility and ensures that she continues to receive the medical treatment she has been on since her teenage years for gender dysphoria.
Jennifer Levi, an attorney with the LGBTQ rights group GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD), which represents Moe, called the ruling a relief, saying, “She is staying put for now.”
Trump’s Executive Order on Transgender Rights
On January 20, the day he returned to office, President Trump signed an executive order mandating that federal agencies recognize only two biologically distinct sexes—male and female. The order directed that transgender women be housed in men’s prisons and that federal funding for gender-affirming medical care for inmates be cut off.
This policy shift immediately led to Moe being informed that she would be moved to a men’s facility, despite the serious risks of violence, harassment, and sexual assault she would face. In addition, the Bureau of Prisons changed her public gender designation from “female” to “male” and prepared to cut off her hormone treatments.
Legal Challenge to Trump’s Policy
Moe’s attorneys argue that Trump’s executive order violates her constitutional rights under the Fifth Amendment’s due process protections and the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment.
“Placing her in a men’s prison is not just discriminatory; it’s life-threatening,” her lawyers said in court filings.
A separate lawsuit challenging the same policy was filed Thursday in Washington, D.C., by three other transgender women in federal custody.
Next Steps in the Case
Judge O’Toole is now considering whether to extend the restraining order into a longer-term injunction, which would block Moe’s transfer and the denial of her medical care for the duration of the case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Boston declined to comment on the lawsuit. However, Moe’s legal team continues to argue that the Trump administration’s actions not only violate constitutional rights but also put transgender inmates at extreme risk of harm.
With legal challenges mounting, the case could become a pivotal test of how far the federal government can go in enforcing Trump’s new policies on transgender rights.