A federal appeals court ruled that portions of the Trump administration’s policy barring transgender individuals from military service violate the Constitution.

The three-judge panel issued a 2-1 decision Monday finding that key aspects of the ban are unconstitutional. The court determined the policy “appears to be driven by the bare desire to harm a politically unpopular group.”

What the Court Found

The appeals court stated the policy is “arbitrary and based on animus,” according to the decision. “The record shows that the purpose of the policy is to target applicants and servicemembers who express what the Administration believes is a ‘false gender identity,’ and the Policy goes far beyond disqualifying persons currently or recently suffering from gender dysphoria,” the ruling said.

The panel noted that “some of those disqualifications are completely unexplained and have no reasonable justification.” The decision found constitutional defects in how the ban was constructed and implemented.

Current Status

Despite the ruling, the appeals panel allowed Trump’s ban on enlisting new transgender troops to remain in place for now. The decision leaves open the possibility of further legal challenges and appeals.

The ruling marks another court intervention in military service eligibility policies that have shifted across multiple administrations.