A federal judge has stopped Elon Musk’s government efficiency team from using a key Treasury payment system, saying it could cause “irreparable harm.”
The judge’s decision, made early Saturday, blocks access to the payment system that handles important things like tax returns, Social Security benefits, disability payments, and federal workers’ pay.
US District Judge Paul Engelmayer ordered that any information downloaded from the system since January 20 be destroyed. He said the new policy might expose sensitive information and make the system more vulnerable to hacking.
A hearing is set for February 14.
This ruling came after New York Attorney General Letitia James, along with 18 other state attorneys general, filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration. The suit claims Musk’s team, which is part of the so-called “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE), was given access to the Treasury system without proper clearance.
According to the Trump administration, the goal of DOGE is to cut government costs. But its attempts to access important systems like the Treasury payment system have caused concern within other government agencies.
The lawsuit argues that DOGE’s actions pose a security risk to sensitive state and federal data. The payment system is essential for over 250 federal agencies and affects millions of Americans’ lives.
The move has sparked political debates and drawn criticism from Democratic senators, unions, and protestors worried about Musk’s team accessing private citizen data. Musk’s team has also tried to disrupt other government systems, like those managing federal workers, real estate, and records.
Meanwhile, another court ruling on Friday temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s plans to reduce staff at the US Agency for International Development (USAID), after a freeze on foreign aid and employee cuts caused major unrest.
