Judge Rejects DOGE’s Attempt To Obtain SSA Records

A federal judge has blocked Elon Musk’s DOGE team from accessing personal Social Security records, ordering the deletion of all collected data amid growing privacy concerns.

Key Insights

U.S. District Judge Ellen Hollander issued a temporary restraining order preventing DOGE from accessing Social Security Administration (SSA) databases containing personal data on millions of Americans.
The judge criticized DOGE’s actions as a “fishing expedition” based on suspicion rather than evidence, ordering the deletion of any personally identifiable information already collected.
Labor unions and retiree advocacy groups successfully argued that DOGE’s data access violated privacy laws and created significant information security risks.
The ruling represents the latest legal challenge to DOGE, which has also accessed databases at the Treasury Department and IRS in its government efficiency mission.

Judge Halts DOGE Access to Sensitive Social Security Records

U.S. District Judge Ellen Hollander in Maryland issued a temporary restraining order against Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), blocking the team from accessing Social Security Administration systems containing sensitive personal data. The judge’s decision requires DOGE to delete any personally identifiable information it may have already collected from SSA databases. The ruling comes after labor unions and retiree advocates requested emergency intervention, citing serious privacy law violations and information security concerns about DOGE’s unprecedented data collection activities.

The DOGE team, consisting of just 10 people, had been granted read-only access to SSA systems shortly after President Trump’s inauguration. This access was ostensibly to target waste and fraud in federal government operations. However, Judge Hollander determined that the plaintiffs challenging DOGE’s activities were likely to succeed in their claims that these actions violated the Privacy Act, which provides strict protections for Americans’ personal information held by government agencies.

Judge BLOCKS DOGE from getting Social Security records

Federal judge says 'DOGE Team essentially engaged in a fishing expedition at SSA'

New restraining order is temporary pic.twitter.com/3dfrbykoZ3

— RT (@RT_com) March 20, 2025

Judge Criticizes “Fishing Expedition” Without Justification

In her ruling, Judge Hollander delivered a sharp rebuke to DOGE’s approach, describing their actions as unjustified intrusions into Americans’ privacy. The SSA databases contain highly sensitive information including Social Security numbers, medical records, financial data, and banking details for millions of Americans. Government attorneys attempted to defend the access as consistent with normal agency practices, but plaintiffs successfully argued that the scope and nature of DOGE’s access was unprecedented and posed serious privacy and security risks.

“The DOGE Team is essentially engaged in a fishing expedition at SSA, in search of a fraud epidemic, based on little more than suspicion,” U.S. District Judge Ellen Hollander said.

The judge further criticized the Trump administration for failing to provide adequate justification for DOGE’s need to access such sensitive information, noting: “To be sure, rooting out possible fraud, waste, and mismanagement in the SSA is in the public interest. But, that does not mean that the government can flout the law to do so.” This ruling highlights growing concerns about DOGE’s compliance with federal laws protecting private information as the team pursues its efficiency mandate.

Labor Unions Celebrate Victory for Privacy Rights

Labor organizations, including the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), celebrated the judge’s decision as a significant victory for workers and retirees. AFSCME President Lee Saunders praised the ruling for recognizing what he described as the “grave danger” posed by DOGE’s data access activities. The court’s decision will force DOGE to delete any data already obtained and block further access to sensitive SSA information, addressing immediate privacy concerns.

“This is a major win for working people and retirees across the country. The court saw that Elon Musk and his unqualified lackeys present a grave danger to Social Security and have illegally accessed the data of millions of Americans,” AFSCME President Lee Saunders said.

The White House expressed disappointment with the ruling, with spokesperson Harrison Fields criticizing it as judicial activism that “sabotages the President’s attempts to rid the government of waste, fraud, and abuse.” This legal challenge is one of nearly two dozen lawsuits filed against DOGE, reflecting ongoing tensions between the administration’s government efficiency goals and concerns about privacy protection and proper procedures in pursuing those objectives.