Trump faces backlash after vowing to ban certain foreign passports, raising concerns over immigration policy and potential legal challenges.
A federal judge has recently ruled against Donald Trump’s plans to ban passports that recognize non-binary as a gender option.
This decision comes as part of ongoing legal battles over LGBTQ+ rights in the United States.
Trump signed executive orders to reverse policies.
Since returning to the presidency, Trump has signed numerous executive orders aimed at reversing many policies put in place by former President Joe Biden.
Among these changes, Trump focused on altering how gender is represented on travel documents, particularly for non-binary and intersex individuals.
During Biden’s administration, the option to choose “X” as a gender marker on passports was introduced.
This allowed people who do not identify strictly as male or female to have an accurate representation of their identity on official documents.
This policy had been in effect since October 2021.
Trump’s new policy to narrow the gender definition
Trump’s administration sought to eliminate this option.
One of the first executive orders he signed was titled “Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government.”
This order aimed to define gender strictly as male or female, rejecting the possibility of gender transition.
It stated: “It is the policy of the United States to recognise two sexes, male and female.
These sexes are not changeable and are grounded in fundamental and incontrovertible reality.”
It emphasized that these categories are unchangeable and based on what it called “fundamental and incontrovertible reality.”
This directive led to a freeze on passport applications that included an “X” gender marker.
Donald Trump blocked by federal judge after pledging to ban certain types of foreign
ALCU challenges the new policy
In response to this new policy, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a lawsuit on behalf of several transgender and non-binary individuals.
They argued that the new passport rules would prevent people from obtaining accurate identification.
The ACLU’s lawyer, Sruti Swaminathan, stated that the policy could lead to harassment and discrimination against transgender Americans.
“We all have a right to accurate identity documents, and this policy invites harassment, discrimination, and violence against transgender Americans who can no longer obtain or renew a passport that matches who they are,” Swaminathan said.
Judicial ruling against the Trump administration
U.S. District Judge Julia Kobick, appointed by Biden, granted the ACLU a preliminary injunction against the Trump administration’s policy.
Judge Kobick explained that the Executive Order and the new Passport Policy classify applicants based on sex. This classification requires careful judicial scrutiny.
Judge Kobick stated, “The government has failed to meet this standard.”
She noted that the plaintiffs had demonstrated that the new policy was based on “irrational prejudice” against transgender Americans.
This, she argued, violated the constitutional commitment to equal protection for all.
ACLU celebrates the ruling as a significant victory.
Li Nowlin-Sohl, part of the ACLU’s legal team, described the ruling as a “historic win.”
She stated that the decision is a significant victory against discrimination and for equal justice.
Nowlin-Sohl emphasized that the State Department’s policy had created unnecessary barriers for transgender and intersex individuals.
“This decision is a critical victory against discrimination and for equal justice under the law,” she said.
The ruling seen as a step forward in the fight against efforts to marginalize transgender people in public life.