A federal judge in Washington on Monday temporarily halted President Donald Trump’s decision to bar transgender people from joining the U.S. military.

In her ruling, U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly issued a preliminary injunction against Trump’s decision, saying the plaintiffs in the case are likely to succeed in their argument that it violates their due process rights under the Fifth Amendment. Kollar-Kotelly was nominated to the bench by President Bill Clinton.

IN-DEPTH: President Trump: No transgender people allowed in the U.S. military

RELATED: Transgender U.S. service members sue to block Trump's ban

All five plaintiffs — a Coast Guardsmen, three soldiers and an airman with nearly 60 years of combined service — are identified as “Jane Doe” in the lawsuit. They said they want to remain anonymous because they fear retribution. Some have completed tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. Lawyers from the National Center for Lesbian Rights and GLBTQ Legal Advocates and Defenders, or GLAD, are assisting the plaintiffs.

The U.S. Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday afternoon.

About the Author

Keep Reading

 First Liberty Building & Loan founder Brant Frost IV. (Photo illustration: Philip Robibero/AJC)

Credit: Philip Robibero / AJC

Featured

Waymo autonomous vehicles operate across 65 square miles inside I-285 and have been involved in six incidents with Atlanta Public School buses since May. Waymo issued a recall because of their cars briefly stopping or slowing down before continuing forward while a bus was stopped and flashing its lights. (Courtesy of Atlanta Public Schools)

Credit: Courtesy of Atlanta Public Schools