The U.S. Supreme Court has temporarily upheld the Trump administration’s policy requiring that all passports reflect the sex listed at birth, rejecting a lower court order that had blocked the measure.
In a brief unsigned ruling, the Court sided with the State Department, allowing it to enforce the rule while legal challenges continue. The policy, based on President Donald Trump’s January 2025 executive order, restricts passports to “male” or “female” designations and eliminates the nonbinary “X” option introduced under the Biden administration.
Supporters of the policy argue it ensures consistency and clarity in federal records, comparing the sex marker to factual data such as country of birth. However, civil rights groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), have condemned the decision as discriminatory and harmful to transgender and nonbinary Americans.
The case will proceed in lower courts, but for now, the ruling marks a major — though temporary — win for the Trump administration’s gender documentation policy.
