ISTANBUL

The Trump administration on Thursday requested the Supreme Court’s approval to reinstate its ban on transgender individuals serving in the military.

Solicitor General John Sauer filed an emergency petition with the Supreme Court, seeking to halt a nationwide order issued by a federal judge in Washington state, NBC News reported.

Sauer argued that the court order clashes with the "substantial deference" typically granted to the military's professional judgements.

Opponents assert that the ban requested by the administration violates the 14th Amendment, which guarantees equal protection under the law.

The ban expands on a policy introduced by Trump during his term, which the Supreme Court allowed to take effect. Former President Biden later reversed these restrictions.

Sauer explained that the policy excludes individuals with "gender dysphoria or have undergone medical interventions for gender dysphoria" from military service.

US District Judge Benjamin Settle ruled in late March that the “government’s arguments are not persuasive, and it is not an especially close question,” noting the lack of updated evidence for the new policy. The 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals declined to block his ruling.

The administration relies on a Pentagon decision from the first Trump administration, claiming people with gender dysphoria threaten "military effectiveness and lethality."

A separate case is in process in Washington, DC, with Trump administration aiming for a similar order.

The Supreme Court has given the challengers until May 1 to respond to the administration’s request. Meanwhile, the ban remains blocked.