Hundreds of transgender federal prisoners are facing increased uncertainty and fear following an executive order from President Donald Trump, which mandates that inmates be transferred to facilities based on their biological sex rather than their gender identity.
The decision has raised alarms, especially from legal advocates who warn of the heightened dangers these inmates could face in male prisons.
Attorney Moira Meltzer-Cohen, who represents Donna Langan, a transgender woman serving a life sentence for bank robbery, expressed grave concerns, telling DailyMailUK that forcing trans women into male facilities could lead to a “bloodbath.”
The executive order, signed on Trump’s first day in office, establishes that the government will recognize only two sexes and restrict access to “intimate spaces,” such as bathrooms and dormitories, to individuals based on their biological sex. The order also halts federal funding for transition-related healthcare.
Sandra Gant, a federal public defender, shared that her office was notified after one of their trans clients was segregated in preparation for a transfer to a men’s prison. “She is terrified,” Gant said, stressing the need for legal efforts to challenge this policy.
Meanwhile, Rhonda Fleming, a female inmate in Texas, expressed support for the policy following her failed legal attempt to prevent trans women from being housed in women’s prisons, citing safety concerns. Fleming also claimed that some male inmates falsely identify as women to serve their sentences in female facilities.
The Bureau of Prisons, responsible for overseeing about 1,500 trans women and 750 trans men, has not yet decided how to handle placements for inmates who have undergone gender-affirming surgeries, citing additional security concerns.
This executive order is part of a larger series of policy reversals under the Trump administration aimed at rolling back protections for transgender individuals, and it could face legal challenges from organizations such as the ACLU.
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