A federal judge has ruled to temporarily block Elon Musk's DOGE initiative from gaining access to sensitive data from the Department of Education.
U.S. District Judge Deborah L. Boardman issued the temporary restraining order in Maryland in response to a lawsuit led by the American Federation of Teachers. The order aims to prevent the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing databases containing personal information on millions of Americans.
Denying DOGE Access To Sensitive Personal Information
However, Judge Boardman denied the union's request to block DOGE from gaining access to sensitive data from the Treasury Department. The decision was made because a preliminary injunction in a separate case had already achieved that goal.
The latest order bars the Department of Education and the Office of Personnel Management from disclosing personally identifiable information to DOGE affiliates, at least until March 10, 2025. According to the Washington Post, Randi Weingarten, the president of the teachers' union, called the ruling an important decision.
He added that the judge's order puts a firewall between actors who they believe "lack the legitimacy and authority to access Americans' personal data." Weingarten said that when people provide their financial and other personal information to the American government, they expect such data to be protected and only used for the reasons they intended.
The lawsuit filed by the teachers' union argued that the Trump administration violated the Privacy Act by giving Musk's DOGE sensitive data for reasons that were beyond its intended use.
Violation of Federal Law
Judge Boardman, in making her ruling, said that the plaintiffs were able to establish that both agencies most likely violated federal law by granting DOGE "sweeping access" to sensitive personal information, Reuters reported.
The information that was shared reportedly includes Social Security numbers, dates of birth, home addresses, income and assets, citizenship status, and disability status for current and former federal employees and student aid recipients.
The Trump administration claims that a ruling blocking DOGE from accessing the information would only impede the president's ability to fulfill his agenda. It also argues that it would limit what information his advisors can access.
Judge Boardman ruled that the sharing of sensitive personal information violated the Privacy Act. This act bars federal agencies from sharing personal information "with any person or to another agency " except in limited circumstances.
The situation comes as a DOGE staffer, Adam Ramada, said that he and other DOGE-affiliated employees pored over the Department of Education's systems. They reportedly worked to identify "fraud, waste, and abuse," as per Higher ED Dive.
