Overview

• Judge Ana Reyes paused a hearing on the Pentagon's transgender military ban after discovering that a DOJ lawyer had not read the reports used to justify the policy.
• The policy, finalized in February, disqualifies most transgender individuals from military service, with limited exceptions requiring stringent waivers.
• Reyes noted that the reports cited by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth were misquoted in the policy, raising questions about its credibility.
• The plaintiffs argue the ban violates the Fifth Amendment's equal protection clause and causes harm to transgender soldiers and military cohesion.
• The DOJ has defended the policy by citing mental health concerns, but Reyes has expressed skepticism about its impact on military readiness and questioned its rationale.