US appeals court rejects Trump bid to restore passport policy targeting transgender people

Source: Reuters

September 4, 2025 5:40 PM EDT Updated 11 hours ago


BOSTON, Sept 4 (Reuters) - A federal appeals court on Thursday declined to allow U.S. President Donald Trump's administration to refuse to issue passports to transgender and nonbinary Americans that reflect their gender identities.

A three-judge panel of the Boston-based 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals declined to put on hold an injunction issued by a trial judge barring the U.S. Department of State from enforcing a policy it adopted at Trump's direction.

"We're thankful the court rejected this effort by the Trump administration to enforce their discriminatory and baseless policy," said Li Nowlin-Sohl, a lawyer with the American Civil Liberties Union, which pursued the case. The White House had no immediate comment.

The lawsuit is one of several concerning an executive order Trump signed after returning to office on January 20 directing the government to recognize only two biologically distinct sexes, male and female. The Republican president's order also directed the State Department to change its policies to only issue passports that "accurately reflect the holder's sex."

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/us-appeals-court-rejects-trump-bid-restore-passport-policy-targeting-transgender-2025-09-04/