A federal judge has slammed the brakes on Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) team, blocking them from accessing sensitive personal data from the Social Security Administration (SSA).
The ruling, delivered by U.S. District Judge Ellen Lipton Hollander, called DOGE’s sweeping data requests an unjustified “fishing expedition.”
The court ruled against DOGE’s access, citing the lack of a valid reason for retrieving vast amounts of personally identifiable information (PII).
Judge Hollander’s order specifically barred SSA officials—including Acting Commissioner Leland Dudek and Chief Information Officer Michael Russo—from handing over any data to DOGE.
The type of PII at stake includes:
- Social Security numbers
- Medical records
- Employer and employee payment details
- Addresses and tax records
In a strong move to protect privacy, the judge also ordered DOGE to delete any non-anonymized data collected since January 20.
A coalition of unions and retiree groups challenged DOGE’s actions in court, including:
- The American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME)
- The Alliance for Retired Americans
- The American Federation of Teachers (AFT)
Richard Fiesta, executive director of the Alliance for Retired Americans, praised the ruling, stating, “Seniors must be able to trust the Social Security Administration to protect their personal information.”
The White House, however, saw it differently. Principal deputy press secretary Harrison Fields dismissed the ruling, branding Judge Hollander a “radical leftist” and accusing her of working to “sabotage” President Trump’s agenda.
Judge Hollander criticized DOGE’s secrecy and lack of transparency. Even DOGE’s own affiliates remained anonymous, supposedly for protection against harassment.
Yet, the judge pointed out the hypocrisy: “The defense does not appear to share a privacy concern for the millions of Americans whose SSA records were made available.”
She also referenced previous incidents where breaches of Social Security data led to severe privacy violations.
One such case involved the unredacted release of records connected to former congressional staffers and individuals tied to JFK assassination documents.
While the ruling limits DOGE’s access, it does not completely shut down its operations. The team can still retrieve redacted data—if its members pass background checks and complete privacy training.
However, Judge Hollander made it clear that security concerns must outweigh fraud detection efforts.
“Rooting out fraud is important,” she wrote, “but the government cannot flout the law to do so.”
The Trump administration insists that DOGE is on a mission to eliminate waste in government programs, including Social Security, which Musk has labeled a “Ponzi scheme.”
The Justice Department argues that DOGE’s access is in line with standard SSA practices. However, critics say the agency’s demands far exceed normal oversight.
This is just one of nearly two dozen lawsuits challenging DOGE’s expanding government reach. A separate ruling recently found DOGE’s restructuring of the U.S. Agency for International Development likely unconstitutional.
For now, Judge Hollander’s decision has halted DOGE’s push for Social Security data—at least until the next courtroom showdown.
Clark is a 26-year-old expert working for consumer protection, Clark has dedicated years to identifying and exposing fraudulent schemes. He is working with NGOs to help people who are victims of scams. In his free time, Todd plays football or goes to a bar.
