A federal judge in DC issued a temporary pause on Trump's plans to transfer transgender inmates to facilities that don't align with their gender identity. This decision follows a lawsuit filed last Friday, Jane Doe v. Pamela Bondi, which claims that one of the executive orders signed by Trump in January “targets transgender people and attempts to strip them of established protections.” All of the inmates involved in the lawsuit are transgender women, who are represented under the anonymous surname Doe. We tell you more at MORE LATIN.
According to the lawsuit, transgender inmates were informed they would be forced to transfer to male facilities, where they would face greater risks. Furthermore, they were told their medical care would be discontinued after the transfer. They argue they “will not be safe” if transferred to a male facility, where they would face an even greater risk of sexual harassment, assault, and rape. One of the claims also includes how transgender inmates could be forced to shower in full view of incarcerated men, contributing to concerns about their safety in these spaces.
Reagan-appointed U.S. District Court Judge Royce C. Lamberth affirmed that the plaintiffs have a strong case that their transfer violates their Eighth Amendment rights. However, the court has not ruled on other claims made in the lawsuit. The Eighth Amendment prohibits any cruel or unusual punishment for incarcerated individuals.
This lawsuit is not the first challenge to the Trump administration's efforts to roll back protections for transgender inmates. Another lawsuit came from an individual identified anonymously as Maria Moe, who filed a complaint after the executive order forced her transfer to a male facility and changed her records.
The latest lawsuit names Acting Director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, William Lothrop, as a defendant. However, Lothrop, along with several other BOP executives, has announced his retirement and is expected to resign at the end of the month, according to The Washington Post.