Washington, DC — Last night, a federal court granted a preliminary injunction blocking Elon Musk’s so-called “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) from further accessing sensitive personal data stored within the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) systems. The ruling comes in response to a motion filed by the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), AFL-CIO; the American Federation of Teachers (AFT); and the Alliance for Retired Americans, all represented by Democracy Forward.

Yesterday’s decision provides significant relief and is essential in halting DOGE’s unlawful and dangerous overreach. The court recognized that Musk’s operatives’ unprecedented access to private Social Security data, ranging from immigration records to health and financial information, violated critical privacy protections and would cause irreparable harm.

See coverage below:

Associated Press: Federal judge in Baltimore temporarily limits DOGE access to Social Security data

A federal judge on Thursday imposed new restrictions on billionaire Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, limiting its access to Social Security systems that hold personal data on millions of Americans.

U.S. District Judge Ellen Hollander issued a preliminary injunction in the case , which was brought by a group of labor unions and retirees who allege DOGE’s recent actions violate privacy laws and present massive information security risks. Hollander had previously issued a temporary restraining order .

The access alone is a privacy violation that causes harm to Social Security recipients, said Alethea Anne Swift, an attorney with the legal services group Democracy Forward, which is behind the lawsuit.

“That intrusion causes an objectively reasonable unease,” she said.

Reuters: Judge extends ban on Musk’s DOGE access to private Social Security data

The injunction is a win for the two labor unions and an advocacy group that sued SSA, Musk, DOGE and others in February, seeking to stop DOGE members from accessing some of the agency’s most sensitive data systems.

The advocacy group Democracy Forward said the injunction marked an important step in their case.

“This is a significant relief for the millions of people who depend on the Social Security Administration to safeguard their most personal and sensitive information,” Skye Perryman, president of Democracy Forward, said in a statement.

Fox News: Federal judge temporarily restricts DOGE access to personalized Social Security data

A federal judge in Baltimore issued a preliminary injunction Thursday restricting the Department of Government Efficiency’s access to Social Security data. 

The case was brought by a group of labor unions and retirees who allege DOGE’s recent actions violate privacy laws and present massive information security risks. 

Skye Perryman, President and CEO of the legal services group Democracy Forward, which is behind the lawsuit, said the ruling has brought “significant relief for the millions of people who depend on the Social Security Administration to safeguard their most personal and sensitive information.” 

NPR: Judge orders new limits on DOGE data access at Social Security Administration

A federal judge has once again blocked Department of Government Efficiency staffers who are operating inside the Social Security Administration (SSA) from accessing sensitive personal information of millions of Americans.

The issuing of a preliminary injunction comes in a lawsuit filed by a group of unions and retirees in Maryland, which is one of more than a dozen suits to raise alarms about the kind of data DOGE has accessed, and how such data could be used.

Newsweek: Elon Musk’s DOGE Hit With Social Security Legal Setback

Thursday’s ruling by Hollander was in response to a case brought against DOGE by a coalition of labor unions and retirees who argued giving the new body access to Social Security data breached privacy and was a security risk. Hollander had already imposed a temporary restraining order limiting DOGE access in March.

Under the terms of the preliminary injunction, DOGE employees can only access Social Security system data if its been redacted to remove anything personally identifiable, and if they have received training and passed background checks.

Speaking to Reuters about DOGE’s access to Social Security data, Alethea Anne Swift, from legal campaign group Democracy Forward, said: “That intrusion causes an objectively reasonable unease.”

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Democracy Forward is a national legal organization that advances democracy and social progress through litigation, policy, public education, and regulatory engagement. For more information, please visit www.democracyforward.org.