A federal judge has issued a temporary restraining order preventing certain government agencies from sharing sensitive records with President Donald Trump’s “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE), citing potential “irreparable harm” if the data were accessed. The order, issued on Monday by U.S. District Judge Deborah Boardman of Maryland, comes in response to a lawsuit filed by several labor unions against the Education Department and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM).
The unions allege that DOGE, led by billionaire Elon Musk, is seeking access to systems containing highly sensitive information, including Social Security numbers, bank account details, and federal employment records. This data pertains to millions of Americans, including veterans receiving benefits, federal workers, and borrowers under federal student loan programs. The lawsuit claims that sharing this information with DOGE violates the Privacy Act of 1974, which protects individuals’ privacy by restricting the disclosure of personal data without consent.
Judge Boardman, an appointee of former President Joe Biden, ruled that the unions and individual plaintiffs—including several veterans—had demonstrated a likelihood of success in their claims. She emphasized that the plaintiffs would suffer “irreparable harm” if DOGE were allowed to access the data while the lawsuit proceeds. “There is no reason to believe their access to this information will end anytime soon because the government believes their access is appropriate,” Boardman wrote.
DOGE, a controversial initiative within the Trump administration, has been tasked with streamlining federal operations, including laying off workers, terminating federal contracts, and closing agencies. Its potential access to sensitive data has raised significant concerns among government watchdogs and public interest groups.
This lawsuit is part of a broader effort by labor unions and advocacy organizations to slow down DOGE’s influence over federal operations. Last week, a federal judge in New York extended an order blocking DOGE from accessing Treasury Department systems that handle Social Security, Medicare disbursements, and payments to federal contractors.
Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers (one of the unions involved in the lawsuit), praised the judge’s decision, calling it a necessary “firewall” between political actors and Americans’ private information. “When people give their financial and other personal information to the federal government… they expect that data to be protected and used for the reasons it was intended, not appropriated for other means,” Weingarten said in a statement.
The ruling highlights ongoing tensions between the Trump administration’s efforts to overhaul federal operations and concerns about privacy and government overreach. As the lawsuit moves forward, the judge’s order ensures that sensitive records remain protected from unauthorized access.
