Hundreds of transgender federal prisoners face uncertainty and fear after President Donald Trump’s executive order mandating transfers to facilities based on biological sex rather than gender identity.

The move has sparked concerns, particularly from legal advocates who warn of the dangers these inmates may face in male prisons.

“It’s going to be incredibly dangerous,” said attorney Moira Meltzer-Cohen, who represents Donna Langan, a transgender woman serving a life sentence for bank robbery, as quoted by DailyMailUK.

Meltzer-Cohen fears a “bloodbath” if trans inmates are forced into male prisons.

The order, signed on Trump’s first day in office, states the government will recognise only two sexes and restrict “intimate spaces” like bathrooms and dorms to biological sex. Federal funding for transition-related healthcare has also been halted.

Sandra Gant, a federal public defender, revealed that her office was alerted after a trans client was segregated for transfer to a men’s prison. “She is terrified,” Gant shared, calling for legal strategies to challenge the policy.

Rhonda Fleming, a female inmate in Texas, welcomed the decision after her failed legal battle to exclude trans women from women’s prisons, citing fears for her safety. Fleming claimed some male inmates fake gender identities to serve sentences in women’s facilities.

The Bureau of Prisons, which oversees approximately 1,500 trans women and 750 trans men, has yet to decide on placements for inmates who have undergone gender-affirming surgeries, citing additional security concerns.

The executive order, part of Trump’s broader rollback of protections for transgender individuals, faces potential legal challenges from groups like the ACLU.