2nd US judge halts proposed transgender military ban

BALTIMORE — Another federal judge has halted a proposed transgender military ban, expanding on an initial ruling against the policy by President Donald Trump's administration.

In a preliminary injunction issued Tuesday in Baltimore, U.S. District Judge Marvin Garbis has ruled that transgender service members have "demonstrated that they are already suffering harmful consequences" including stigma, threat of discharge and the cancellation of surgeries.

Trump announced on Twitter in July that the government would not allow transgender people to serve in the military.

Garbis writes that the"capricious, arbitrary, and unqualified tweet of new policy does not trump the methodical and systematic review by military stakeholders."

Last month, another federal judge barred Trump's administration from proceeding with plans to exclude transgender people from military service.

The proposed ban remains unenforceable under the preliminary injunctions.