Judge prohibits OPM and Education Department from disclosing personal data to DOGE
The order represents the most extensive restriction on DOGE's operations to date.
TroibNews 
A federal judge has prohibited the Education Department and the Office of Personnel Management — the government's extensive HR department — from disclosing sensitive information to Elon Musk's "Department of Government Efficiency" (DOGE), citing potential violations of federal privacy laws.
“The continuing, unauthorized disclosure of plaintiffs’ sensitive personal information to DOGE affiliates is irreparable harm that money damages cannot rectify,” wrote U.S. District Judge Deborah Boardman, a Biden appointee based in Maryland, in a 33-page ruling that issued a two-week restraining order.
This order represents the most comprehensive restriction on DOGE's activities to date, preventing the OPM from sharing personal information about federal employees with DOGE, as well as information concerning student borrowers. The ruling was prompted by a lawsuit filed by federal employee unions, student loan recipients, and veterans receiving government benefits. While the judge’s order applies specifically to these parties, it is likely to have broader implications, effectively serving as a ban on DOGE's access to data held by OPM or the Education Department regarding individuals.
“DOGE affiliates have been granted access to systems of record that contain some of the plaintiffs’ most sensitive data — Social Security numbers, dates of birth, home addresses, income and assets, citizenship status, and disability status — and their access to this trove of personal information is ongoing,” the judge noted, characterizing this access as a significant risk.
Boardman's ruling emphasizes that government officials must have a “need-to-know” basis when accessing sensitive employee and beneficiary information. She pointed out that the government did not adequately justify why DOGE officials required access to such information, although they will have further opportunities to demonstrate this during the ongoing lawsuit.
Unless a higher court overturns the order, it could pose significant challenges for Musk's team as they work to implement the Trump administration’s initiatives aimed at transforming the federal workforce. This comes after Musk required all U.S. government employees to send an email detailing their activities over the past week. In response, multiple cabinet officials and agency leaders advised employees not to comply immediately with the Musk-led request, citing concerns over operational security and the implications of the directive.
Boardman chose not to extend her restraining order to records held by the Treasury Department, noting that another judge had already restricted DOGE personnel from accessing those databases, which contain information on billions of federal financial transactions.
Alejandro Jose Martinez for TROIB News
“The continuing, unauthorized disclosure of plaintiffs’ sensitive personal information to DOGE affiliates is irreparable harm that money damages cannot rectify,” wrote U.S. District Judge Deborah Boardman, a Biden appointee based in Maryland, in a 33-page ruling that issued a two-week restraining order.
This order represents the most comprehensive restriction on DOGE's activities to date, preventing the OPM from sharing personal information about federal employees with DOGE, as well as information concerning student borrowers. The ruling was prompted by a lawsuit filed by federal employee unions, student loan recipients, and veterans receiving government benefits. While the judge’s order applies specifically to these parties, it is likely to have broader implications, effectively serving as a ban on DOGE's access to data held by OPM or the Education Department regarding individuals.
“DOGE affiliates have been granted access to systems of record that contain some of the plaintiffs’ most sensitive data — Social Security numbers, dates of birth, home addresses, income and assets, citizenship status, and disability status — and their access to this trove of personal information is ongoing,” the judge noted, characterizing this access as a significant risk.
Boardman's ruling emphasizes that government officials must have a “need-to-know” basis when accessing sensitive employee and beneficiary information. She pointed out that the government did not adequately justify why DOGE officials required access to such information, although they will have further opportunities to demonstrate this during the ongoing lawsuit.
Unless a higher court overturns the order, it could pose significant challenges for Musk's team as they work to implement the Trump administration’s initiatives aimed at transforming the federal workforce. This comes after Musk required all U.S. government employees to send an email detailing their activities over the past week. In response, multiple cabinet officials and agency leaders advised employees not to comply immediately with the Musk-led request, citing concerns over operational security and the implications of the directive.
Boardman chose not to extend her restraining order to records held by the Treasury Department, noting that another judge had already restricted DOGE personnel from accessing those databases, which contain information on billions of federal financial transactions.
Alejandro Jose Martinez for TROIB News
