(CN) – The Fourth Circuit denied the Trump administration’s attempt Friday to prevent transgender people from joining the U.S. military.

In a brief, but unanimous order, the three-judge panel said: “Upon consideration of appellants’ emergency motion for administrative stay and partial stay pending appeal, appellees’ response to the motion, appellants’ reply, the parties’ supplemental authorities, and the amicus brief in support of appellees, the court denies the motion for administrative stay and partial stay pending appeal.”

The case before the Richmond, Virginia-based appellate court was Stone, et al. v. Trump, et al. The Department of Justice filed the appeal last week after a U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, in Washington, D.C., ruled in a separate case that the Trump administration must accept transgender military recruits beginning on Jan. 1.

After the judge’s original decision, the Pentagon said in a statement it would begin processing transgender recruits for military service in the new year while the Justice Department appealed the ruling.

The Trump administration appealed Kollar-Kotelly’s ruling to the DC Circuit. On Friday, Doe’s attorney, Paul Wolfson of WilmerHale in Washington, filed a letter notifying the court of the Fourth Circuit decision.