Trump requests Supreme Court authorization for DOGE to access confidential Social Security data
Trump's Department of Justice is requesting urgent intervention from the justices for the second time this week.
TroibNews 
The Trump administration filed a request with the Supreme Court on Friday for permission for Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to access Social Security systems that contain sensitive personal information about millions of Americans.
Solicitor General John Sauer stated in an emergency appeal that DOGE requires access to the data to inform the White House and federal agencies on technology updates and efforts to eliminate waste and fraud.
Musk has made claims about alleged widespread fraud within the Social Security Administration. He has asserted, with minimal evidence, that Social Security checks are being issued to numerous deceased individuals or unauthorized immigrants.
Sauer urged the Supreme Court to overturn a lower-court ruling that prevented DOGE from obtaining the sensitive data. This request marks the latest in a series of emergency appeals — the second within just two days — as President Donald Trump’s Justice Department seeks immediate action from the justices following lower court decisions that have impeded aspects of his initiatives.
Sauer contended that a district judge’s injunction against DOGE accessing the SSA data represents an undue encroachment on the president’s authority to oversee the federal workforce.
“The injunction involving the SSA does not merely halt the Executive Branch’s critically important efforts to improve its information-technology infrastructure and eliminate waste,” Sauer wrote. “District court control of decisions about internal access to information also constitutes inappropriate superintendence of a coequal branch.”
The sensitive data in question includes Social Security numbers, medical and mental health records, school records, immigration and naturalization documents, bank account information, and more.
Since Musk initiated the cost-cutting efforts at DOGE, over two dozen lawsuits have been filed against the agency. Some of these lawsuits claim breaches of privacy laws related to DOGE employees’ access to information about government workers and the public at large. Critics of DOGE have also claimed that the unrestricted access granted to DOGE employees breaches federal regulations mandating that all agency actions must have reasonable justification.
U.S. District Judge Ellen Hollander in Maryland previously prohibited DOGE's access to SSA systems in March, although she did allow access to non-identifying data. Another federal district judge also curtailed DOGE’s access to records at the Departments of Treasury and Education and the Office of Personnel Management. However, earlier this month, the administration prevailed in an appeal that restored its access to those agencies.
Emily Johnson for TROIB News
Solicitor General John Sauer stated in an emergency appeal that DOGE requires access to the data to inform the White House and federal agencies on technology updates and efforts to eliminate waste and fraud.
Musk has made claims about alleged widespread fraud within the Social Security Administration. He has asserted, with minimal evidence, that Social Security checks are being issued to numerous deceased individuals or unauthorized immigrants.
Sauer urged the Supreme Court to overturn a lower-court ruling that prevented DOGE from obtaining the sensitive data. This request marks the latest in a series of emergency appeals — the second within just two days — as President Donald Trump’s Justice Department seeks immediate action from the justices following lower court decisions that have impeded aspects of his initiatives.
Sauer contended that a district judge’s injunction against DOGE accessing the SSA data represents an undue encroachment on the president’s authority to oversee the federal workforce.
“The injunction involving the SSA does not merely halt the Executive Branch’s critically important efforts to improve its information-technology infrastructure and eliminate waste,” Sauer wrote. “District court control of decisions about internal access to information also constitutes inappropriate superintendence of a coequal branch.”
The sensitive data in question includes Social Security numbers, medical and mental health records, school records, immigration and naturalization documents, bank account information, and more.
Since Musk initiated the cost-cutting efforts at DOGE, over two dozen lawsuits have been filed against the agency. Some of these lawsuits claim breaches of privacy laws related to DOGE employees’ access to information about government workers and the public at large. Critics of DOGE have also claimed that the unrestricted access granted to DOGE employees breaches federal regulations mandating that all agency actions must have reasonable justification.
U.S. District Judge Ellen Hollander in Maryland previously prohibited DOGE's access to SSA systems in March, although she did allow access to non-identifying data. Another federal district judge also curtailed DOGE’s access to records at the Departments of Treasury and Education and the Office of Personnel Management. However, earlier this month, the administration prevailed in an appeal that restored its access to those agencies.
Emily Johnson for TROIB News
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