A federal judge temporarily halted billionaire Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency from accessing Social Security systems containing personal data on millions of Americans, labeling their actions as a “fishing expedition.” The judge’s order requires the team to delete any personally identifiable information in their possession.
U.S. District Judge Ellen Hollander in Maryland concluded that the team had gained broad access to sensitive information at the Social Security Administration without sufficient justification for searching for fraud. “The DOGE Team is essentially engaged in a fishing expedition at SSA, in search of a fraud epidemic, based on little more than suspicion,” she stated.
While the order permits DOGE staffers to access redacted or de-identified data after undergoing training and background checks, it emphasizes that the government cannot disregard the law in its pursuit of uncovering fraud, waste, and mismanagement at the SSA.
The Trump administration asserts that DOGE is targeting government waste, with Musk particularly focused on alleged fraud within Social Security. The ruling, subject to potential challenge on appeal, follows a lawsuit filed by labor unions, retirees, and the advocacy group Democracy Forward, claiming that DOGE’s access violates privacy laws and poses significant information security risks.
DOGE fielded a 10-person team at the SSA, seven of whom were granted read-only access to agency systems or personally identifiable information. The government maintains that all staffers had legal access under privacy laws and denied any improper sharing of personal data.
The Justice Department defended DOGE’s access as consistent with standard practices at the agency, where employees routinely search databases. However, attorneys for the plaintiffs argued that the level of access granted was unprecedented.
In response to the ruling, union president Lee Saunders hailed it as a “major win for working people and retirees across the country,” while Democracy Forward president Skye Perryman commended the court for halting DOGE’s actions.
DOGE has also gained access to databases at other government agencies, such as the Treasury Department and IRS. At the SSA, the team sought swift access to restricted data systems shortly after Trump took office, per testimony from a former official.
Judge Hollander, nominated by President Barack Obama, joins other judges in scrutinizing DOGE-related activities.
The team is facing close to 24 lawsuits. Just recently, a Maryland judge ruled that DOGE’s elimination of the United States Agency for International Development may be unconstitutional. While some judges have questioned DOGE’s extensive budget reductions, not all have agreed that the risks are significant enough to prevent the team from accessing government systems. Reporting from Baltimore was contributed by Associated Press writers Chris Megerian and Lea Skene.
