Supreme Court says Trump's transgender military ban can take effect

The Supreme Court says President Trump's policy restricting transgender people from serving in the military can go into effect — for now.

The court on Tuesday lifted nationwide injunctions on the policy, therefore allowing the administration to enforce it while its legality continues to be challenged in the lower courts, The Washington Post reports.

The court's conservative justices, including Justice Brett Kavanaugh, sided with the Trump administration, while Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor, and Elena Kagan were in favor of continuing the injunctions. The court did not rule on the legality of the actual policy, however.

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The ban was blocked by several courts last year, but the Supreme Court voted 5-4 to allow the restrictions to continue. The controversial policy first banned transgender people from serving in the U.S. military "in any capacity," then was later amended to ban transgender personnel who "may require substantial medical treatment."

Trump's policy, which was originally announced on Twitter in 2017, will affect 8,980 members of the military, CNN reports.