A federal judge has blocked Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing sensitive personal data from the Department of Education. The ruling came after a lawsuit filed by the American Federation of Teachers, which argued that the Treasury Department should not release personal information about federal workers, including union members and student aid recipients.
U.S. District Court Judge Deborah L. Boardman issued the order on Monday, preventing Musk’s DOGE and other government agencies from accessing the data. The judge’s decision follows concerns that these records contained personally identifiable information (PII) and were shared without consent.
“The plaintiffs allege that the agencies unlawfully granted access to records that contain their personally identifiable information (‘PII’) to personnel implementing the President’s Executive Orders on the DOGE agenda,” Judge Boardman explained in her ruling. “The Court finds that the plaintiffs have met their burden for the extraordinary relief they seek.”
The judge also pointed out that the plaintiffs are likely to win their case because the Department of Education and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) likely violated the Privacy Act by giving personal information to DOGE affiliates without permission.
OPM was also stopped from sharing the records with DOGE employees. Judge Boardman noted that the disclosure of the records did not meet the necessary requirements and violated privacy laws.
A follow-up hearing is scheduled for February 26.
