Trump administration urges Supreme Court to allow transgender military ban
The Trump administration has requested the US Supreme Court to allow enforcement of its ban on transgender individuals serving in the military, seeking to overturn a nationwide injunction currently blocking the policy. The emergency application, filed by Solicitor General D John Sauer, argues that the injunction undermines the military's professional judgment and the executive branch's authority over military policy. advertisementThe policy in question largely disqualifies individuals diagnosed with gender dysphoria or those who have undergone gender transition procedures, though it permits case-by-case waivers if service is deemed critical to warfighting capabilities.
US District Judge Benjamin Settle issued the injunction on March 27, saying the government had failed to present sufficient evidence justifying the ban, and called it a 'facially unfair exclusionary policy.' The San Francisco-based 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals declined to stay the ruling, allowing the block to remain in place.The Supreme Court has asked opponents of the ban to respond to the administration's request by May 1. In a related case, a similar injunction issued by a federal judge in Washington, DC is also under review.Critics argue the policy violates constitutional protections under the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments by discriminating against transgender individuals. advertisementAdvocacy groups like Lambda Legal contend that transgender service members have long met military standards and served with distinction.The ban expands on an earlier Trump-era policy that the Supreme Court previously allowed to take effect in 2019. President Biden later reversed the measure, allowing open service by transgender troops. Trump reinstated a more strict version through executive orders during his recent term, asserting that gender identity conflicts with military standards of readiness and cohesion.The Justice Department maintains that the Pentagon's position reflects a rational concern for military effectiveness, drawing parallels to long-standing medical exclusions like those for asthma or hypertension.(With inputs from Reuters)Tune InMust Watch
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Economic Times
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On May 13, India expelled Danish, who was posted at the Pakistan High Commission, for allegedly indulging in espionage. Jasbir Singh was allegedly found to be associated with a Pakistani Intelligence Operative (PIO). He was in contact with a Pakistan High Commission official who was recently expelled from New Delhi on charges of spying and had met Pakistan Army officials during one of his three visits to the neighbouring country, police had earlier said. He was allegedly in close contact with Jyoti Malhotra who was earlier arrested by Haryana Police on espionage charges. Singh was found to be associated with Pakistani Intelligence Operative (PIO) Shakir alias Jutt Randhawa. The accused had also travelled to Pakistan on three occasions including in 2020, 2021 and 2024, and came into direct contact with ISI officers, who subsequently cultivated and recruited him to carry out espionage activities within India, police had said. Investigations revealed that Singh attended the Pakistan National Day event in Delhi on Danish's invitation, where he met Pakistani Army officials and vloggers. After Jyoti Malhotra's arrest, accused Singh had attempted to erase all traces of his communications with these PIOs to avoid detection, police had said. The police had alleged that Singh was in touch with many Pakistan-based entities including ISI agents and had been providing sensitive information about the movement of the Indian Army and other inside activities of the country to Pakistan. (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel) espionage caseJasbir SinghJyoti MalhotraPunjab PoliceHaryana Police (Catch all the Business News, Breaking News, Budget 2025 Events and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.) Subscribe to The Economic Times Prime and read the ET ePaper online. NEXT STORY
