U.S. President Donald Trump has enacted an executive order that bars transgender women from competing in female sports categories. The directive outlines regulations and legal interpretations while tasking the Department of Education with probing schools suspected of non-compliance.

Republican leaders argue the measure ensures fairness in sports, whereas LGBT and human rights advocates have denounced it as discriminatory, BBC News reports.

The order, which takes immediate effect, primarily applies to high school, university, and grassroots sports. Various sports governing bodies—including those overseeing swimming, track and field, and golf—have already prohibited transgender women from competing in elite female categories if they have undergone male puberty.

White House officials briefing reporters stated that this latest directive strengthens the Department of Education’s authority to oversee how schools enforce Title IX, a federal law prohibiting sex discrimination in federally funded education programs. An administration official noted that the measure overturns a Biden administration policy from April of the previous year, which affirmed federal protections for LGBT students without providing explicit guidelines regarding transgender athletes.

"If you let men take over women's sports teams or invade your locker rooms, you will be investigated for violations of Title IX and risk your federal funding," Trump asserted.

Additionally, the White House intends to engage sports organizations—including the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA)—by convening meetings with female athletes and their families to discuss their concerns. The official also stated that the U.S. government would take all necessary steps to prevent transgender athletes from competing against female athletes in International Olympic Committee (IOC) events held in the United States.

Trump specified that this policy would extend to the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. He also declared that transgender athletes attempting to enter the U.S. for the LA Games would be denied visas.

Before signing the order, Trump proclaimed, "The war on women's sports is over," and vowed that his administration would not stand idly by as "men beat and batter female athletes" during the LA Games. He further instructed the secretary of homeland security to "deny any and all visa applications made by men attempting to fraudulently enter the United States while identifying themselves as women athletes..."

The International Olympic Committee has been contacted for comment.

According to White House officials, the policy enjoys broad public support and is crucial to maintaining "fairness" and safety for women in sports.

Human Rights Campaign president Kelley Robinson criticized the measure, stating that it "exposes young people to harassment and discrimination, emboldening people to question the gender of kids who don't fit a narrow view of how they're supposed to dress or look."

"For so many students, sports are about finding somewhere to belong," Robinson added. "Not partisan policies that make life harder for them."

Research from the UCLA Williams Institute indicates that less than 1% of the U.S. population aged 13 and older identifies as transgender, with an even smaller fraction participating in sports.

On his first day in office, January 20, Trump signed a separate executive order mandating that the federal government define sex strictly as male or female.