A judge recently blocked DOGE employees from accessing social security personal information
The Trump administration has made a bold suggestion that could affect millions of Americans should they go through with it.
Government employees are once again stepping up to defend the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a controversial agency established when Donald Trump returned to office in January.
DOGE, which is partially led by Elon Musk, has around 30 staff members working under him. However, its lack of full department status has led to challenges in accessing crucial government data. For instance, last month, a judge temporarily blocked DOGE staff from accessing America’s treasury system. Though the Democrats who filed the complaint failed to make the block permanent, the ban was lifted shortly after.
Now, DOGE faces another setback after a judge temporarily halted the agency from accessing the Social Security Administration (SSA) systems, which house personal data of millions of Americans. U.S. District Judge Ellen Hollander in Maryland ruled that DOGE’s efforts appeared to be a “fishing expedition” in search of fraud based on little more than suspicion. She emphasized that while rooting out fraud, waste, and mismanagement at the SSA is important, it can’t justify bypassing the law.
In response, Leland Dudek, the acting SSA commissioner, has warned that the restraining order could extend so broadly that it would prevent any SSA employee from accessing its systems, leaving millions of Americans at risk of losing access to their benefits. Dudek argued that the decision affects not just DOGE affiliates but also his anti-fraud and IT teams. He warned, “As it stands, I will follow it exactly and terminate access by all SSA employees to our IT systems.”
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Leland Dudek didn’t hold back, further threatening, “Really, I want to turn it off and let the courts figure out how they want to run a federal agency.” This move would impact 73 million Americans who rely on old-age or disability benefits, highlighting the far-reaching consequences of the dispute.
The clash comes after unions and retirees called for an emergency order to limit DOGE’s access to the Social Security Administration (SSA) and its massive database of personal information. They argue that the department’s ‘nearly unlimited’ access infringes on privacy laws and poses significant risks to information security.
White House deputy press secretary Harrison Fields weighed in on the matter, denouncing the recent ruling: “This is yet another activist judge abusing the judicial system to try and sabotage the President’s efforts to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse within the government.” The back-and-forth over DOGE’s role continues to spark debate, as concerns about privacy and efficiency clash in the courtroom.
