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Two trans men from Lawrence filed a lawsuit challenging the law and are represented by the American Civil Liberties Union. But Douglas County District Judge James McCabria declined to halt enforcement of the law, saying he believes Kansans to be tolerant and supportive of each other.

Two transgender men using the pseudonyms Daniel Doe and Matthew Moe filed a lawsuit saying SB 244 violates the Kansas Constitution’s protections for personal autonomy, privacy, equality under the law, due process and freedom of speech, according to a news release from the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas.

Critics, including the American Civil Liberties Union , argue it violates due process by depriving transgender individuals of driving privileges—essential for daily life, employment, and safety—without a hearing. On February 27, 2026, the ACLU filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of two transgender plaintiffs, seeking to block enforcement and alleging "irreparable harm."

The Kansas ACLU said it is disappointed in the situation. “We are disappointed in the situation we are in but will likely wait to comment when we know more. I am a little concerned that it does not appear the City has developed any detailed language about how the task force / oversight board will operate and who will be on it, but clearly CoreCivic has not wasted any time starting operations,” the Kansas ACLU said in a statement sent to KCTV5.

Micah Kubic, the executive director of the ACLU of Kansas, remembers the legal fights between Kobach and Johnson. He said Kansas has tried to create a system where voters need to show proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote. The goal was to clean up voter rolls and make sure nobody was improperly casting ballots, something similar to what the federal government is trying now. It ended up with more than 30,000 people, or 12% of the total voter registration applications from 2013-2016, being blocked. That law was thrown out.

"It was tens of thousands of people in Kansas," Bonds, legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas at the time, told USA TODAY. "Obviously, if you multiply that nationally, it could really deprive a bunch of people who are undoubtedly lawfully authorized to vote from being able to cast their ballot."

Of course, the ACLU filed a lawsuit immediately upon the passage. There was a hearing regarding a temporary restraining order while the bill is going through the litigation process.

This movement to restrict student protest is not new, but it has accelerated. The ACLU of Kansas recently detailed how similar attempts to limit speech have already appeared in districts such as Shawnee Mission, where administrators previously tried to suppress speech related to gun violence and even seized student journalists’ recording devices — actions the district later retreated from after legal challenge.

Harper Seldin, an attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) representing the plaintiffs said that Kansas was singling out trans residents “for unique social stigma”.