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Federal judges have restricted access to the Department of Government Efficiency federal database, citing “violations of law and trust.”
In February, a group of current and former federal employees and their union members, led by the Federation of US Government Employees, sued the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and DOGE, allegedly allegedly “privacy violations.”
US District Judge Dennis Court, for the Southern District of New York, granted plaintiffs’ April 25 motion for the provisional injunction Monday, but said the scope of the injunction would be addressed by another order.
“Following President Trump’s inauguration, the OPM granted widespread access to a group of individuals (“Doges”) related to government efficiency in many of these systems, but the reliable need for this access has not been demonstrated. This caused the OPM to violate the law and bypass established cybersecurity practices.
Supreme Court Rules Doge Access Social Security Information
Entered the Theodore Roosevelt Federal Building as an activist outside the US Human Resources Office in Washington, D.C. on February 3, 2025.
“Simply put, the OPM record in question concerns the plaintiff’s most sensitive personal relationship,” the opinion states. “It contains information about Social Security numbers, healthcare information, banking information, and family. For some people, disclosure of information in the OPM system can put them at risk.”
Cotess said he is the appointee of President Bill Clinton. The plaintiff “signs a “tentative injunction.” The “tentative injunction” halts disclosure of OPM records to individuals related to DOGE and requires the destruction of copies of personal information obtained through such disclosure.”
“The plaintiffs indicated that the defendant had disclosed the OPM records to individuals who have no legal access to these records,” Cotes wrote. “In doing so, the defendants violated privacy laws and left the cybersecurity standards they are obliged to comply with. This was a violation of law and trust. Tens of millions of Americans rely on the government to protect records that reveal their most private and sensitive issues.”
The judge also criticized the Trump administration’s handling of OPM records.
“The government may have admitted that it has been quickly established and established to achieve the mistakes in the new president’s agenda, but no important protocols have been overlooked,” Cote wrote. “The government defended the case by repeatedly invoking a mantra that it had adhered to all established procedures and safeguards. It was not. Without a full awareness that we must follow the law and established cybersecurity procedures, the risk of irreparable harm continues to exist.”
At the May hearing, Justice Department lawyers argued that the interim injunction granted should include exceptions for high-level OPM staff, citing how the initial restrictions placed on DOGE access to the DOGE Department records have returned as long as Doge staff are undergoing proper training and review.
Judge Dennis Louise Court took to Washington, DC on April 2, 2025 at the annual American Bar Association Antitrust Law Spring Conference (Drew Angerer/AFP via Getty Images)
Justice Department lawyers filed another complaint in the suit Friday, citing the Supreme Court’s latest decision relating to DOGE access to Social Security Agency (SSA) records.
Doge’s future remains uncertain amidst the rocky public fallout between former leaders, tech billionaires Elon Musk and President Donald Trump.
The Supreme Court handed the Trump administration two victories on Friday, including access to the Social Security system, which includes personal data about millions of Americans, if Doge is involved. In both cases, the three liberal justice who opposed it.
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The judiciary was also suppressed separately in the orders for transparency in Doge.
In one case, the High Court suspended an order from a Maryland judge that restricted teams’ access to SSAs under the federal privacy laws.
The Trump administration says Doge needs access to carry out its federal mission to target waste. Musk focused on social security as a suspected breeding ground for fraud. The entrepreneur described it as the “Ponzi Plan,” arguing that reducing waste in the program is an important way to reduce government spending.
June 3, 2025, Washington, DC, White House (Kevin Carter/Getty Images)
However, Maryland US District Judge Judge Ellen Hollander found that Doge’s efforts on Social Security amounted to a “fishing expedition” based on “more than suspicion” of fraud, and that granting free access puts American personal information at risk.
Her ruling granted access to anonymous data for staff who had undergone training and background checks, or wider access for those who detailed their specific needs.
The Trump administration said Doge cannot work effectively with these restrictions.
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US Attorney General D. John Sauer also argued that the ruling is an example of federal judges attempting to scale down administrative agencies beyond their powers.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Daniel Wallace is a news and political reporter for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to danielle.wallace@fox.com and to X:@danimwallace.
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