Federal Judge Issues Stunning Ruling on Musk’s DOGE Plan
Federal Judge Blocks Elon Musk’s DOGE From Accessing Student Loan Data
A federal judge has temporarily blocked the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an initiative led by Elon Musk, from accessing student loan records as part of its cost-cutting measures.
The ruling, issued Monday, prevents DOGE from reviewing personal financial data held by the Department of Education (DoEd) following a lawsuit from labor unions concerned about privacy violations.
Judge Deborah Boardman of the U.S. District Court in Greenbelt, Maryland, granted a temporary restraining order in response to legal challenges filed by the American Federation of Teachers and other unions, WWMT reports. The plaintiffs argue that federal agencies unlawfully gave DOGE access to personally identifiable information affecting millions of Americans without proper consent.
The order prohibits DOGE from reviewing sensitive personal data, including Social Security numbers, home addresses, financial records and student loan details, which the DoEd had previously authorized DOGE to examine as part of its government waste investigation, according to Reuters.
The lawsuit, filed on Feb. 10, claims the DoEd and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) improperly granted DOGE access to systems containing sensitive data without obtaining consent from affected individuals, per Bloomberg Law. The unions, representing more than 2 million workers, contend that the agencies failed to follow proper procedures when allowing DOGE to review financial and personal records.
In her ruling, Boardman stated that the plaintiffs met the burden necessary to justify emergency relief, arguing that both agencies likely violated the Privacy Act of 1974, Reuters noted.
“This continuing, unauthorized disclosure of the plaintiffs’ sensitive personal information to DOGE affiliates is irreparable harm that money damages cannot rectify,” Boardman wrote in her decision, according to Fox News.
The order also prevents OPM from sharing similar records with DOGE.
However, DOGE has secured legal victories in recent weeks. Last Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss ruled that the University of California Student Association had not demonstrated that DOGE’s review of student loan records was causing “irreparable harm,” allowing the agency to proceed with its investigation, as highlighted by TTOA
Similarly, U.S. District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan rejected a request last Monday to prevent DOGE from accessing federal agency data systems.
Meanwhile, another significant ruling came from District Judge Christopher Cooper, an Obama appointee, who rejected a request from federal labor unions to halt federal employee terminations related to the administration’s workforce reduction efforts, Fox News reported.
These rulings have reinforced DOGE’s ability to advance its mandate, despite increasing legal challenges.
The organization remains a focal point of legal and political debate, with critics arguing that its access to federal data poses privacy risks, while supporters maintain that its efforts are crucial for reducing government inefficiencies.
Boardman, a Biden appointee, has ruled against executive actions in the past. In a previous case, she struck down President Donald Trump’s executive order seeking to end birthright citizenship, arguing that citizenship policy requires a uniform national approach.
Her latest ruling against DOGE adds to the growing list of legal battles surrounding her decisions on executive authority.
The White House has not yet commented on the ruling and it remains unclear whether DOGE will appeal.
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