The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court on Monday to allow federal prison officials to stop providing gender-transition medical treatments to transgender inmates. President Trump signed an executive order directing that imprisoned trans women be housed in men’s facilities and barring them from receiving gender transition treatments for gender dysphoria. Lower courts have blocked the policy, ruling that inmates must continue hormone therapy while a lawsuit proceeds. The lawsuit was filed by three trans inmates on behalf of about 2,000 transgender individuals.

Solicitor General D. John Sauer asked the justices to intervene on an emergency basis, arguing the government and public are harmed because lower courts blocked a policy prison administrators determined is necessary for institutional security. The Supreme Court requested a response from the prisoners' lawyers by Oct. 8.

The prison policy is part of a series of actions limiting transgender rights, including withdrawing federal funding from schools allowing transgender athletes in girls' sports and asking the court to enforce a ban on transgender military service members. The Bureau of Prisons argues benefits of hormone therapy are unclear for adults with gender dysphoria, while lawyers for prisoners say such treatment is the only effective approach for the condition.

Judge Royce C. Lamberth of the District Court in Washington issued rulings halting the policy nationwide, stating the Bureau did not adequately consider its own experience providing gender-affirming care. A divided panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit denied the government's request to block the order.