Why are judges allowed to do this?
A federal judge, appointed by President Joe Biden, has temporarily blocked Elon Musk’s new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from gaining access to sensitive personal records at the Department of Education (DoEd). This ruling comes as part of DOGE’s ongoing initiative to streamline government spending and cut down on waste.
Judge Deborah Boardman, who presides in Greenbelt, Maryland, issued the decision Monday, effectively halting the department’s access to critical personal information. This includes sensitive data like Social Security numbers, financial details related to federal student loans, and other personal records of American citizens. The court granted a temporary restraining order, halting both the DoEd and the Office of Personnel Management from sharing these records with DOGE for the next two weeks.
In her ruling, Judge Boardman expressed concerns that the sharing of such private information with DOGE affiliates could cause irreparable harm. She noted that the plaintiffs in the case had demonstrated that this data breach would lead to severe consequences, and monetary compensation would not be enough to remedy the situation. “This continuing, unauthorized release of the plaintiffs’ delicate private information to DOGE members is irreparable harm that money damages cannot fix,” she wrote.
The lawsuit challenges the administration’s executive orders and claims that the agencies violated the privacy of citizens by granting access to sensitive information without proper authorization. The plaintiffs argue that the scope of the information involved, which includes details like home addresses, income, and citizenship status, is too vast and sensitive to be shared without explicit consent.
This temporary setback for DOGE follows a broader trend of legal pushback against the department’s efforts to reduce federal spending. Despite this, DOGE has had some victories in other cases, including a recent decision by U.S. District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan, who denied a request to block DOGE’s access to data systems at several federal agencies. The department’s aggressive pursuit of reducing government waste is sure to face more legal challenges in the coming months.