Judge temporarily blocks DOGE access to sensitive information at two agencies
A federal judge on Monday blocked Elon Musk’s U.S. DOGE Service from using private information collected by the Education Department and the Office of Personnel Management.
U.S. District Judge Deborah L. Boardman in Maryland issued a temporary restraining order in a lawsuit led by the American Federation of Teachers to stop DOGE from accessing databases containing personal information on millions of Americans. She denied the union’s request to block DOGE from sensitive Treasury Department data because a preliminary injunction in a separate case achieved that goal.
The order bars the Education Department and the Office of Personnel Management, which manages personnel for the federal government, from disclosing personally identifiable information to DOGE affiliates at least until March 10.
“This is a significant decision that puts a firewall between actors who we believe lack the legitimacy and authority to access Americans’ personal data,” said Randi Weingarten, president of the teachers union, which represents 1.8 million workers in education, health care and government.
“When people give their financial and other personal information to the federal government - namely to secure financial aid for their kids to go to college, or to get a student loan - they expect that data to be protected and used for the reasons it was intended, not appropriated for other means,” Weingarten added.
The Education Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Neither did DOGE.
The lawsuit alleges that the Trump administration violated the Privacy Act by giving Musk’s team sensitive data for reasons beyond its intended use. DOGE has had access to databases that include home addresses, Social Security numbers and driver’s license numbers, among other information. The union says such access poses security risks.
In addition to AFT, the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association and the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers are also plaintiffs in the lawsuit. They are joined by six individuals with sensitive data stored in federal systems, including military veterans who received federal student loans.
The Education Department collects personal information to administer federal financial aid programs. DOGE had gained access to the department’s databases, including the Federal Student Aid Partner Connect, Financial Management System and National Student Loan Data System.
DOGE, according to previous Washington Post reporting, has been feeding data from across the Education Department into artificial-intelligence software to probe the agency’s programs and spending. The effort is part of a push to slash spending and shrink the agency’s staff, as President Donald Trump seeks to dismantle the department.
In the 33-page ruling, Boardman wrote that the government “never explains why” OPM and department personnel need this widespread access to Americans’ private information to carry out the reform measures.
Boardman released the order days after a federal judge in a separate lawsuit refused to issue a restraining order to stop Musk’s team from accessing student data at the Education Department, saying there was no immediate threat in allowing it.