A federal judge has issued a nationwide injunction halting the enforcement of a Trump administration policy that prevented transgender and nonbinary Americans from obtaining passports reflecting their gender identities.
On June 17, 2025, U.S. District Judge Julia Kobick in Boston expanded a previous order, initially limited to six individuals, to now apply across the United States. The judge found the policy likely unconstitutional, emphasizing that the refusal to recognize gender identity on federal documents violates the rights of transgender and nonbinary individuals.
The controversial policy originated from an executive order issued by former President Donald Trump upon taking office. The order mandated that the federal government recognize only two biological sexes—male and female—and declared that these were immutable. Following this directive, the U.S. Department of State stopped issuing passports with gender markers that did not match applicants’ sex assigned at birth.
This led to widespread confusion and hardship. Many transgender applicants who had submitted documentation under previous guidelines saw their applications denied. Others were reportedly stopped while traveling and accused of possessing fraudulent documents.
In April, Judge Kobick had ordered the State Department to issue passports to the original six plaintiffs while the lawsuit progressed. Her latest ruling significantly broadens that protection to all transgender and nonbinary individuals nationwide.
This passport restriction is one among several actions taken by the Trump administration to roll back transgender rights. Earlier this year, Trump reinstated a ban on transgender individuals serving in the military, a policy later upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in May.
Judge Kobick’s ruling marks a major legal rebuke of the administration’s approach and underscores the ongoing battle over LGBTQ+ rights in the United States.
Source: usatoday.com
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