Judge Blocks Parts of Trump’s Executive Orders Against Diversity and the Trans Community

Judge halts Trump’s executive orders

Protects services for trans community

Trump faces new legal setback

According to the EFE agency, a federal judge in California has partially blocked several executive orders signed by President Donald Trump that aimed to restrict federal diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, as well as funding for organizations that work with transgender communities.

The decision, issued Monday by Judge Jon Tigar of the Northern District Court of California, represents a legal blow to policies promoted during the Trump administration that sought to condition the allocation of federal funds to institutions that promote equity and the recognition of sexual and gender diversity.

Tigar argued that three of the executive orders in question constitute a form of censorship and violate the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which protects freedom of expression.

“The Executive Branch has some leeway to implement its political agenda,” Tigar wrote in his ruling.

Trump’s executive orders threaten rights

Judge Blocks Parts of Trump’s Executive Orders – Photo: Shutterstock

“But that power is limited by the Constitution, and it cannot be used to manipulate Congress-allocated funds to isolate communities or suppress ideas the government dislikes.”

The judicial order prevents the Department of Justice from enforcing those orders while the legal process continues.

However, the federal government is expected to appeal the ruling.

One of the most controversial aspects of the executive orders was the termination of federal funding to programs serving vulnerable populations, including transgender people and individuals living with HIV.

LGBTQ organizations demand institutional protection

Trump Executive Orders Photo: Shutterstock

Among the plaintiffs is Lambda Legal, a historic advocacy group for LGBTQ+ rights that receives public funds to implement health programs, legal counseling, and psychosocial support.

The organization warned that the executive measures threatened to dismantle vital services for many people who depend on government support.

According to Tigar, the negative impact is not only real but also forces organizations into a dilemma: they must choose between preserving their constitutional rights or relinquishing the funding that allows them to operate.

“This loss of services not only jeopardizes the survival of key programs,” said the judge.

Judicial block protects trans services in the US

Trump Executive Orders Photo: Shutterstock

“But also forces the plaintiffs to choose between their constitutional rights and their continued existence as organizations.”

The case was brought by a group of nine LGBTQ+ organizations located across six different states. They argued that complying with the executive orders would compromise their institutional mission.

Many of these entities work directly with vulnerable populations, offering HIV prevention services, medical treatments, mental health support, and temporary housing.

Trump’s executive orders had been justified by his administration as an attempt to curb what they described as “gender ideology” in federal agencies and programs.

Ruling reinforces limits on the Executive

However, for the plaintiffs—and now for Judge Tigar—it was a direct attack on historically marginalized communities and an attempt to impose ideological bias from the Executive Branch.

The ruling comes amid growing tensions surrounding the rights of trans individuals and public funding for US diversity programs.

Several states have recently passed legislation restricting access to gender-affirming care, trans participation in school sports, and the teaching of sexual diversity in public schools.

In this context, Tigar’s decision could set a significant legal precedent on the limits of Executive power regarding free speech and public funding.

DEI programs receive judicial support

Although the ruling does not fully revoke Trump’s executive orders, it suspends key parts that, if enforced, would have had an immediate impact on thousands of people who benefit from inclusion programs.

The Biden administration, which inherited the litigation, has not issued an official statement following the ruling. But civil rights groups have celebrated it as a major victory.

“It’s a crucial step to ensure that no government can use its power to punish communities simply for existing,” Lambda Legal declared in a statement following the court’s decision.