President Donald Trump has signed a memorandum directing the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security to discontinue allowing transgender individuals to serve in the US military, the White House said in a press release, reported RIA Novosti news agency of Russia.

“Until June 2016, the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) (collectively, the Departments) generally prohibited openly transgender individuals from accession into the United States military and authorized the discharge of such individuals,” the release stated on Friday.

The respective ban was canceled by then US President Barack Obama.

As per Trump, the changes proposed by the Obama administration may have negative consequences in terms of efficiency of the US Army, its expenses, and disturbance of the layout of separate military units.

The memorandum also states that this decision will remain in effect as long as it is not substantiated that its cancelation will not have negative consequences.