The Trump administration has halted hormone therapy and other specialized treatment for transgender-identifying immigrants detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), according to a report from The New York Times.
The move, confirmed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in a post on X Thursday, marks a sharp reversal of policies in place during the Obama and Biden administrations. DHS wrote: “To be clear: we will NOT waste taxpayer dollars to provide hormone therapy to illegal aliens seeking to change their sex.”
ICE’s own data shows that transgender-identifying detainees represent a tiny fraction of those held in federal immigration detention. Between October 2023 and September 2024, the agency reported 244 such detainees. The agency has since stopped publishing the figure, but its last public count, from January, listed 47 transgender individuals in ICE custody, according to The New York Times.
DHS has also removed from its website an Obama-era policy document titled “on the care of transgender individuals in custody.” The scrubbing was first reported by The New York Times.
Advocates Sound Alarm Over Conditions
Immigration advocates say the policy change is already having severe consequences for transgender detainees. Bridget Crawford, legal director at Immigration Equality, told The New York Times that “the administration is creating a humanitarian disaster” with its approach.
The Times reported that “safeguards” for transgender detainees “have vanished” since President Trump returned to the White House. Activists have documented instances of harassment, abuse, and retaliation against transgender-identifying detainees—both from ICE agents and from other detainees.
One case highlighted in the Times report involves Camila Toro de Paula, a 25-year-old Venezuelan national who identifies as transgender. According to the Times, Toro de Paula has been assaulted and threatened while in ICE custody, and has been denied hormones. He is currently held in solitary confinement, where he claims he has gone without access to water for up to 24 hours at a time.
DHS, however, disputes the characterization of detainee treatment. “No lawbreakers in the history of human civilization have been treated better than illegal aliens in the United States,” the department said. DHS also denied that “detainees are being beaten or abused.”
Toro de Paula’s Criminal History
According to DHS, Toro de Paula has a criminal record that includes charges for felony assault and criminal possession, though those charges were dismissed and sealed. His lawyer said the charges stemmed from his June 30, 2025 arrest in the Bronx, where he allegedly struck a man on the head with a skillet. His attorney claims Toro de Paula was fighting off a robber.
The Times also reported that Toro de Paula was charged with prostitution in Queens, a charge later dismissed. He was subsequently charged with pickpocketing in Queens and pleaded guilty to jostling.
The case has become a flashpoint in the broader debate over immigration enforcement and transgender rights, as the Trump administration continues to push for stricter detention policies and reduced spending on what it calls “wasteful” programs.
The policy change is part of a wider effort by the administration to roll back protections for transgender individuals in federal custody, including in prisons and immigration detention centers. The move has drawn praise from conservative groups and criticism from civil rights organizations who argue it endangers vulnerable detainees.
As of now, ICE has not released updated data on the number of transgender detainees currently in custody, citing a shift in reporting practices. The agency’s last public count, from January, listed 47 transgender individuals detained.
The New York Times report underscores the deep divide between the administration’s framing of the policy as a fiscal and moral issue and advocates’ warnings about the humanitarian toll on a small, vulnerable population.
Source: www.dailywire.com — https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-stops-giving-hormones-to-trans-identifying-illegal-immigrants-in-ice-detention