A federal judge in New Jersey has issued a temporary injunction preventing the Trump administration from discharging two transgender service members from the U.S. Air Force.
U.S. District Judge Christine O’Hearn, appointed by former President Joe Biden, ruled in favor of Master Sgt. Logan Ireland, 37, and Staff Sgt. Nicholas Bade, 44, who both transitioned from female to male. Ireland underwent medical transition in 2012 during his service, while Bade completed his transition in 2015 prior to enlisting.
The legal challenge stems from an executive order signed by President Donald Trump on January 27, which prohibits individuals identifying with a gender different from their biological sex from serving in the military. The order asserts that such identifications conflict with the military’s standards of honor and discipline.
In response to the executive order, the Pentagon issued a memorandum on February 26, instructing military leadership to identify transgender service members within 30 days and initiate separation actions within 60 days.
Judge O’Hearn’s decision argues that the administration has not provided a clear, immediate necessity for enforcing the order, particularly given that transgender individuals have served openly for years. She ruled that temporarily halting dismissals preserves the status quo and ensures that no service members face discharge before the legal challenge is fully resolved.
The DOJ spoke out in response to O’Hearn’s ruling saying, “This is the latest example of an activist judge attempting to seize power at the expense of the American people who overwhelmingly voted to elect President Trump. The Department of Justice has vigorously defended President Trump’s executive actions, including the Defending Women Executive Order, and will continue to do so.”
This ruling follows a similar injunction by U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes in Washington, D.C., who temporarily blocked the enforcement of the same executive order while a lawsuit involving 20 current and prospective service members proceeds.
